Soy protein concentrate as a protein source for Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis Kaup 1858) diets:: effects on growth and amino acid metabolism of postlarvae

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of a dietary amino acid imbalance, originating from the use of a soy protein concentrate (SPC) as the major protein source, on the growth performance and amino acid metabolism of Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) postlarvae. Senegalese sole (85.6+/-24.6 mg wet weight) were fed one of two experimental diets: one based on fish meal (FM) and another based on SPC. Diets were isonitrogenous (around 56% crude protein) and isoenergetic. Diet acceptability was very good and the growth rate was 6.9% day(-1) for sole eating the FM diet and 6.0% day(-1) for sole eating the SPC diet. Mass-specific ammonia excretion and the activities of selected amino acid metabolic enzymes (ALAT, ASAT and GDH) did not present significant differences between treatments, although this may have been due to the high variability found for these parameters in the SPC treatment. This variability may suggest different capacities of individual fish to adapt to the possible methionine dietary deficiency. The utilization of amino acids as a substrate for lipogenesis does not seem to be affected by the dietary protein source, since NAPDH-generating enzymes (G6PD and ME) had similar activities in both treatments. Amino acid metabolism in Senegalese sole postlarvae seems to be slightly affected by the dietary protein source. Nevertheless, the changes induced by the SPC diet do not seem to impair growth, at least at the high dietary protein level used in this experiment.