Effect of dietary chitosan on the growth performance, intestinal histology and growth ‐related gene expression in stellate sturgeon (Acipenser stellatus) juveniles

This study aimed to determine the impact of dietary chitosan on growth performance, whole-body proximate composition, growth-related gene expression, and intestinal histology in juvenileAcipenser stellatus. A total of 180  A. stellatus juveniles with an average weight of 31.90  ± 0.73 g were fed with diets containing 0 (control), 1.5, 3.0, 4.5, and 6.0 g chitosan.kg−1 basic diet for eight weeks. The findings revealed a significant enhancement in growth performance with rising chitosan concentrations. Furthermore, chitosan supplementation upregulated the expression of the growth hormone gene in both brain and liver tissues. In liver samples, the most pronounced expression of the insulin-like growth factor-1 gene was noted at 6.0  g chitosan.kg−1, while in brain samples, peak expressions were observed in both the 4.5 and 6.0  g chitosan.kg−1 treatments. While the whole-body proximate composition remained relatively stable, there was a notable decrease in whole-body lipids with the escalation of chitosan dosage. Intestinal villi dimensions, both height and width, were amplified in the chitosan-supplemented groups compared to controls. In summation, chitosan supplementation showed promise in bolstering growth performance, refining intestinal morphology, and enhancing growth-related gene expression. Analysis of the polynomial regression of weight gain and specific growth rate revealed that the optimum dietary chitosan requirements inA. stellatus were 5.32 and ...
Source: Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition - Category: Zoology Authors: Tags: ORIGINAL ARTICLE Source Type: research