Effects of weaning age and diets on ontogeny of digestive activities and structures of pikeperch (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sander lucioperca</Emphasis>) larvae |
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Authors: | Neila Hamza Mohamed Mhetli Patrick Kestemont |
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Institution: | (1) Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer, 28, avenue 2 Mars 1934, 2025 Salammbo, Tunisia;(2) Unité de Recherche en Biologie des Organismes, University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles, 61, 5000 Namur, Belgium |
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Abstract: | Growth and ontogeny of digestive function were studied in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) larvae weaned on artificial food at different ages. Three weaning treatments initiated respectively on day 9 (W9), day 15
(W15) or day 21 (W21) post-hatching (p.h.) were compared with a control group, fed Artemia nauplii from first feeding until the end of the rearing trial on day 36 p.h. The digestive enzyme activities and the ontogeny
of digestive structures were investigated using enzymatic assays and histological methods. Growth of pikeperch larvae was
significantly affected by precocious weaning. Pancreatic (trypsin and amylase) and intestinal (leucine-alanine peptidase,
leucine aminopeptidase N and alkaline phosphatase) enzyme activities were detected from hatching onwards, increased at the
moment of first feeding and then decreased. Pepsin secretion occurred at day 29 p. h. only, concurrently with the stomach
development and differentiation of gastric glands. In the early weaning group (W9) the maturation process of intestinal enterocytes
seems to be impaired and/or delayed and several signs of malnutrition were recorded. Except for alkaline phosphatase activity,
no differences in enzyme activities and development of digestive structures were observed among the control, W21, and W15
groups. Moreover, at the end of the experiment, no differences in proteolytic activities were observed among larvae from the
different treatments, indicating that, in surviving individuals, the digestive structures were properly developed and the
larvae had acquired an adult mode of digestion. Based on the artificial diet used, our results suggested that pikeperch larvae
can be weaned from day 15 p.h. without significant adverse effect on digestive capacities (except for alkaline phosphatase)
or development of digestive tract, while earlier weaning impaired the onset of the maturation processes of the digestive system,
both in terms of morphological structures and enzymatic activities. |
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Keywords: | Digestive enzymes Histology Larval development Ontogenesis Pikeperch Dry diet |
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