Open AccessEffect of Varying Protein‐to‐Energy Ratios on Growth, Nutrient Retention, Somatic Indices, and Digestive Enzyme Activities of Singhi, Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch)
Author(s) -
Khan Mukhtar A.,
Abidi Shabi Fatma
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
journal of the world aquaculture society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.655
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1749-7345
pISSN - 0893-8849
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-7345.2012.00587.x
Subject(s) - heteropneustes fossilis , biology , feed conversion ratio , nutrient , zoology , protein efficiency ratio , factorial experiment , digestive enzyme , dietary protein , enzyme , food science , fish <actinopterygii> , biochemistry , body weight , endocrinology , ecology , fishery , lipase , mathematics , catfish , statistics
Effects of varying protein‐to‐energy (P/E) ratios on growth performance, nutrient retention, body composition, and digestive enzyme activities of Singhi, Heteropneustes fossilis (7.90 ± 0.40 g; 9.40 ± 0.20 cm) were evaluated. Six experimental diets (350 Low , 350 High , 400 Low , 400 High , 450 Low , and 450 High ) in a 3 × 2 factorial design were formulated to contain three protein levels (350, 400, and 450 g/kg crude protein) and two energy levels (4.07 and 4.54 kcal/g gross energy [GE]) to provide six different dietary P/E ratios (86.1, 77, 98.3, 88, 110.6, and 99 mg protein/kcal GE). The diets were hand‐fed to triplicate groups of fish for 84 d to apparent satiation at two feeding frequencies. Live weight gain, feed conversion ratio, protein retention efficiency, energy retention efficiency, somatic indices, and digestive enzyme activities were maximized by the groups fed on 400 g/kg protein with 4.07 kcal/g GE in diet 400 Low with a P/E ratio of 98.3 mg/kcal energy. The results indicate that 400 g/kg of dietary protein and 4.07 kcal/g of dietary GE with a P/E ratio of 98.3 mg protein/kcal energy is optimum for achieving efficient growth, feed conversion, and nutrient retention in H. fossilis .