Different capabilities in utilizing dietary carbohydrate by fingerling and subadult giant gouramy Osphronemus gouramy

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to determine the capability of the giant gouramy Osphronemus gouramy to assimilate dietary carbohydrate. In experiment 1, fingerlings with an initial body weight of 29–32 g were fed diets containing 20.8, 35.6, 49.8 and 57.0% carbohydrate three times daily, to satiation, for 40 days. In experiment 2, subadults with an initial body weight of 78.7–79.5 g were fed diets containing 21.2, 30.1, 38.6 and 47.5% carbohydrate three times daily, to satiation, for 60 days. The diets had the same amount of protein and the same energy content. The results of experiment 1 showed that the blood glucose levels of fish fed high carbohydrate diets (49.8 and 57.0%) in the 18 h postprandial were lower than those of fish fed low carbohydrate diets (20.8 and 35.6%). The peak of the blood glucose levels in all treatments was found 5 h postprandial. Experiment 2 showed that the blood glucose level of fish was the same among treatments; and the peak of the blood glucose levels was found 9 h postprandially. It was also found that the protein retention, daily growth rate and feed efficiency of the dietary 20.8% carbohydrate levels in experiment 1 were all significantly higher than in other treatments; whereas those in experiment 2 showed no significant difference among the treatments (P > 0.05). In both experiments 1 and 2, lipid retention increased significantly as the dietary carbohydrate level was elevated (P < 0.05). It was concluded that fingerlings of giant gouramy have a lower capability for utilizing dietary carbohydrate, and of the treatments, the 20.8% diet was optimal, whereas subadults could utilize diets with higher carbohydrate levels, as high as 47.5%. Keywords blood glucose level • dietary carbohydrate • giant gouramy • growth • Osphronemus gouramy