Effects of high carbohydrate and high lipid diets on growth,body composition and glucose metabolism in southern catfish at two temperatures

The effects of high carbohydrate and high lipid diets on the growth, body composition and glucose metabolism in the southern catfish were determined at 17.5 °C and 27.5 °C. At each temperature, the feeding rate, specific growth rate and protein productive value decreased with increasing dietary carbohydrate (P<0.05). Feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio were lower in the fish fed a high dietary carbohydrate diet at 17.5 °C, but were not significantly different between diets at 27.5 °C. Plasma glucose and activities of pyruvate kinase and glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase were higher in fish reared at 27.5 °C than those reared at 17.5 °C, and within each temperature, they were higher in fish fed the high‐carbohydrate diet. Hepatosomatic index was higher in fish fed the high‐carbohydrate diet than those fed the high‐lipid diet at 27.5 °C, but no significant difference was found at 17.5 °C. The results indicate that higher temperatures enhance glycogen deposition and lipogenous enzyme activities when fed with a high‐carbohydrate diet; thus, at higher temperatures, this fish uses carbohydrate more efficiently for protein sparing.