HEPATIC ENZYME ADAPTATION TO DIFFERENT DIETARY CARBOHYDRATES IN JUVENILE TILAPIA OREOCHROMIS-NILOTICUS X OREOCHROMIS-AUREUS

The influence of two carbohydrates, starch and glucose, on hepatic enzyme activities of juvenile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus x O. aureus, were investigated. Fish were fed either starch or glucose diet solely for 12 weeks or fed either starch or glucose diet for the first 6 weeks and then switched the diet each other for the last 6 weeks. Fish fed only the starch diet gained more (p < 0.05) body weight, had better feed conversion, higher protein deposition and energy retention values than fish fed the glucose diet. These parameters generally decreased in fish when the starch diet was fed first and then switched to the glucose diet, or increased in fish when the glucose diet was fed first and then switched to the starch diet. The starch - fed fish had higher body lipid content than glucose - fed fish. Body lipid decreased in fish transferred from the starch to glucose diet or vice versa when fish were transformed from the glucose to the starch diet. Hepatic hexokinase, phosphofructokinase, and glucose-6-phosphatase activities in fish were not affected by the different dietary regimes. Malic enzyme (ME), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) and phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (PGD) activities were higher in the fish fed the starch diet than in those fed the glucose diet. Changing the diet from starch to glucose decreased ME, G-6-PD and PGD activities, whereas, changing the diet from the glucose to the starch increased these enzyme activities in fish liver. These results suggest that lipogenic enzyme activity can adapt to dietary carbohydrates in the fish liver.