Improving estimates of trophic shift in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.), using measurements of lipogenic enzyme activities in the liver

Effect of different ratios of wheat to corn flour in the diet on the development and isotopic composition (delta13C, delta15N) of the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum

The back-calculation of the diet is a common application of stable isotopes in animal ecology. The method is based on a predictable relation between the isotopic signature of the diet and the animal's tissues. Frequently, the assumption of a constant difference in isotopic signatures (trophic shift) is made. Carbon isotopic ratios of C(3) and C(4) plants differ by approximately 10 per thousand, making wheat (C(3)-plant) and corn (C(4)-plant) ideal materials for isotopic studies in nutritional ecology and especially for testing the back-calculation method. In this experiment, red flour beetles, Tribolium castaneum, were reared on wheat flour, corn flour and three different mixtures thereof, either in pure flour or with the addition of yeast inoculum or yeast grains. Development of T. castaneum on these experimental diets was monitored, and isotopic signatures of carbon and nitrogen in emerging adults were analysed. The values of trophic shift of C and N isotopes for wheat and corn flour were different, and the values for the mixtures did not correspond to those expected from a linear mixing model. The latter can be taken as an indication that the tiny larvae of T. castaneum may be capable of differentiating between particles of wheat and corn flour, making this animal model unsuitable for testing the back-calculation method.

Dietary back-calculation using stable isotopes: can activities of enzymes involved in amino acid metabolism be used to improve estimates of trophic shifts in fish?

The aim of this study was (1) to assess the effects of dietary protein content and feeding level on trophic shifts of C and N isotopes (Delta delta(13)C(tissue-diet) and Delta delta(15)N(tissue-diet)) and (2) to test whether the measurement of the activities of two enzymes involved in the metabolism of amino acids could improve the accuracy of estimation of the trophic shifts of C and N isotopes. For this, 36 Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were kept under controlled conditions for 8 weeks and fed at three different levels (2, 4 and 8 g kg(-0.8) d(-1)) with three diets differing in their protein content only (20, 29 and 39 %). For each fish, food to fish body trophic shifts of C and N isotopes were measured as well as the hepatic activities of aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT) and glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH). The feeding level affected the activities of ASAT and GDH as well as the trophic shifts of C and N isotopes significantly but the dietary protein content had no significant effect except on the specific activity of ASAT. Fish fed at the lowest level had significantly higher trophic shifts of C and N isotopes than fish fed at higher levels. The trophic shifts were significantly lower in fish with a high protein utilisation. Values of the 'goodness-of-fit' for linear regressions between enzyme activities and trophic shifts were low. Thus, activities of ASAT and GDH are not suitable for predicting estimates of trophic shifts in situations where the amount of food consumed or the dietary protein content is not known. In further studies, activities of enzymes involved in the metabolism of amino acids combined with measurements of the activities of other enzymes should be used to try and improve the accuracy of estimates of trophic shifts.

Comparison of metabolic rates and feed nutrient digestibility in conventional, genetically improved (GIFT) and genetically male (GMNT) Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.)

Various aspects of energy metabolism and feed digestibility were evaluated in two reportedly improved strains of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) namely GIFT (genetically improved farmed tilapia) and GMNT (genetically male Nile tilapia) and compared with those of CNT (conventional Nile tilapia). Fish were stocked individually in a computer-controlled respirometer system at 27+/-0.1 degrees C for 10 weeks. Metabolic rates were measured at three different feeding levels: starved, maintenance (3.0 g kg(-0.8) day(-1)) and growth (7.5 g kg(-0.8) day(-1)) using a fishmeal based feed containing TiO2 marker (41% crude protein, 9% crude lipid and 19 kJ (g DM)(-1) gross energy). The standard metabolic rate (SMR), measured at the beginning of the experiment (45.4+/-4.6, 52.4+/-7.7 and 46.8+/-4.6 mg O2 kg(-0.8) h(-1) respectively for GIFT, GMNT and CNT), did not differ significantly between the groups (p<0.05). Similarly, non-significant differences were also observed in the routine metabolic rates under starved, maintenance and growth conditions but the variability was higher in the case of GMNT and CNT than in GIFT. The latter group showed a significantly lower active metabolic rate (145 mg O2 kg(-0.8) h(-1)) compared to GMNT and CNT (232 and 253 mg O2 kg(-0.8) h(-1), respectively) at maintenance feeding level. The specific dynamic action (% offered feed energy) showed no significant differences among the groups. Digestibility coefficients of feed dry matter, protein, lipid and energy for the three tilapia groups also did not differ significantly. Therefore, we concluded that the genetic improvement or modification in the GIFT or GMNT might not upgrade the inherent physiological potential compared to CNT as far as energy metabolism and digestion efficiencies are concerned.