Effects of three different protein levels on the growth, gonad development, and physiological biochemistry of female Pengze crucian carp (Carassius auratus var. Pengze) broodstock

Abstract

A 56-days feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary protein levels on fish growth, gonad development, and physiological biochemistry of female Pengze crucian carp (Carassius auratus var. Pengze) broodstock. Three isoenergetic diets were formulated, and the crude protein levels were 26.85%, 35.73% and 44.38%, the lipid levels were 7.39%, 7.92% and 7.91%, respectively. The results showed that the weight gain rate (WGR), the specific growth rate (SGR) and the protein efficiency ratio (PER) of the female Pengze crucian carp broodstock increased significantly and the feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased significantly when the dietary protein level was 35.73% (P < 0.05). The WGR, the SGR and the PER were significantly higher in the 35.73% and 44.38% protein groups than in the 26.85% protein group (P<0.05). Increasing dietary protein levels led to a significant increase in the gonad index and the egg menstrual length of the female Pengze crucian carp broodstock (P<0.05). The higher protein levels resulted in a significant increase in total amino acids, total essential amino acids, and total nonessential amino acids (P<0.05). The varying ovaries of each group of total saturated fatty acids, total highly unsaturated fatty acids, and total polyunsaturated fatty acids all increased significantly with increasing protein levels (P<0.05). Furthermore, the aspartate transaminase (AST), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) contents in plasma were significantly lower in the 35.73% and 44.38% groups than in the 26.85% group (P < 0.05). The 35.73% group exhibited the highest plasma superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity,. The plasma vitellogenin (VTG), estradiol 2 (E2), and progesterone (PROG) in plasma of female Pengze crucian carp broodstock were significantly higher in the 35.73% and 44.38% protein groups than in the 26.85% protein group (P<0.05). The results showed that the addition of an appropriate amount of protein to the feed can significantly improve the growth, gonadal development, and health of female Pengze crucian carp. In this study, the effect of 35.73% protein concentration was better than in the other two groups.