Effects of dietary arginine levels on growth performance, body composition, serum biochemical indices and resistance ability against ammonia-nitrogen stress in juvenile yellow catfish ( Pelteobagrus fulvidraco )

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary arginine levels on growth performance, body composition, serum biochemical indices and resistance ability against ammonia-nitrogen stress in juvenile yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco). Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets (42% protein and 9% lipid) were formulated to contain graded levels of arginine (2.44%, 2.64%, 2.81%, 3.01% and 3.23% of diet), by supplementing L-Arginine HCl. Seven hundred juvenile yellow catfish with an initial average body weight of 1.13 ± 0.02 g were randomly divided into 5 groups with 4 replicates of 35 fish each and each group was fed one of the diets. After 56 d feeding, fish were exposed to 100 mg/L of ammonia-nitrogen for 72 h. The results showed that weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) in 2.64% and 2.81% groups were significantly higher than those in 3.23% group (P < 0.05). The feed conversation ratio (FCR) in 2.64%, 2.81% and 3.01% groups was significantly decreased when compared with 3.23% group. The protein efficiency ratio (PER) in 2.64% group was significantly higher than that in 2.44% and 3.23% groups (P < 0.05). The condition factor (CF) of fish was significantly higher in 2.81% group than that in 2.44% group (P < 0.05). Dietary arginine levels had no significant effect on hepatosomatic index (HSI), viscerosomatic index (VSI), and whole-body dry matter, crude protein, crude lipid, ash contents, as well as serum total protein (TP), triglyceride (TG), glucose (GLU), urea nitrogen (UN) contents and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) activities (P > 0.05). After the fish were challenged to ammonia-nitrogen for 72 h, their cumulative mortality rate in 2.81% group was significantly lower than that in 2.44% group (P < 0.05). The results suggested that dietary arginine level at 2.81% could optimize anti-ammonia-nitrogen stress ability of juvenile yellow catfish and a level of 3.23% arginine seemed to depress the growth performance of fish and decreased their tolerance to the ammonia-nitrogen stress under current study. A quadratic regression analysis based on WG indicated that the optimal dietary arginine requirement of juvenile yellow catfish was estimated to be 2.74% of the diet (6.45% of dietary protein) under current culture conditions.

Roles of arginine in fish nutrition and health: insights for future researches

“…As mentioned above, arginine is involved in urea cycle and conversion of ammonia to urea in fish; thus, it may condition ammonia toxicity. In this context, Chen et al (2016) showed that a practical diet supplemented with arginine (i.e. 6.6 g arginine per 100 g protein) led to a lower mortality of P. fulvidraco after 72 h exposure to water ammonia compared to fish fed a control diet (5.7 g arginine per 100 g protein).…”

Dietary supplementation of N‐carbamylglutamate and effects on growth, intestinal enzyme activities, immunological and antioxidant abilities of juvenile yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco)

“…Evidences of adverse effects on growth performance and feed efficiency related to dietary arginine surplus also exist for a number of fish species, such as black sea bream ( Acanthopagrus schlegelii ) (Zhou et al, ), yellow grouper ( Epinephelus awoara ) (Zhou et al, ), blunt snout bream ( Megalobrama amblycephala ) (Ren et al, ) and golden pompano (Lin et al, ). Arginine supplementation has been shown to improve growth performance (Chen et al, ; Ren et al, ; Zhou et al, ), increase immune function (Lin et al, ; Pohlenz, Buentello, Mwangi, & Gatlin III, ), improve intestinal morphology (Chen et al, ; Cheng, Buentello, & Gatlin, ) and reduce the environmental stress (Oehme et al,; Hoseini, Yousefi, Hoseinifar, & Doand, ) in fish.…”

“…In order to meet the market demands in China, the culture of yellow catfish is undergoing rapid development accompanied by the expansion of intensive operations with increased culture density. As a result, diseases occur more frequently, particularly during the early stages of production, which leads to an increase in mortality and limits the sustainability of the industry (Chen et al, ). Our previous study indicated dietary arginine deficiency or excess seemed to depress the growth performance of yellow catfish and decreased their tolerance to the ammonia‐nitrogen stress, while optimal level of dietary arginine could significantly improve the survival rate (SR) after ammonia‐nitrogen stress (Chen et al, ).…”

“…As a result, diseases occur more frequently, particularly during the early stages of production, which leads to an increase in mortality and limits the sustainability of the industry (Chen et al, ). Our previous study indicated dietary arginine deficiency or excess seemed to depress the growth performance of yellow catfish and decreased their tolerance to the ammonia‐nitrogen stress, while optimal level of dietary arginine could significantly improve the survival rate (SR) after ammonia‐nitrogen stress (Chen et al, ). Although several findings provide the proof of principle for an important role of NCG in mammals, no information is available concerning the effects of dietary NCG on growth, intestinal enzyme activities, immunological and antioxidant ability in yellow catfish.…”

Specific metabolic signatures of fish exposed to cyanobacterial blooms

“…Relative concentrations of metabolites 443 involved in protein and amino acids syntheses, such as homo-L-arginine and L-arginine, were 444 decreased in fish sampled in the cyanobacterial-dominated lakes. Arginine is an essential amino acid 445 implicated in many metabolic functions such as protein, creatine and urea syntheses, the glutamate 446 metabolism and the excretion of insulin and glucagon (Chen et al, 2016). Arginine is then known to 447 increase growth performance in fish, reinforce immune functions and reduce the environmental stress.…”