Influence of dietary carbohydrate on antioxidant enzyme activities in liver of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)

Effects of dietary carbohydrates on hepatic antioxidant enzymeactivities were studied in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salarL.), fed diets containing no additional carbohydrate, or a low (15% addition)orhigh (30% addition) concentration of D-glucose or gelatinised potato starch.Addition of free glucose to the feeds resulted in glucose availability being 7and 18% when added at 15 and 30%, while the addition of gelatinised starch didnotseem to reduce starch availability. The dietary treatment groups (nocarbohydrate, 7 and 18% glucose or 15 and 30% gelatinised starch) were providedwith quantities of feed that supplied the same amounts of protein and lipid.There was a positive correlation between tiobarbituric acid-reactive substances(TBARS) in feeds and salmon liver. Liver glycogen concentrations increased withincreasing dietary glucose and starch, and the two higher levels of liverglycogen, found in groups G18 and S30, resulted in decreased activities ofcatalase, superoxide dismutase (t-SOD), and concentrations of glutathione. Thisindicates that there are links between carbohydrate metabolism and antioxidantsystems in salmon liver. There was no correlation between selenium dependentglutathione peroxidase (Se-GPX) activity and dietary carbohydrateconcentrations, but Se-GPX activity increased in response to increased TBARS.Catalase and t-SOD activities did not correlate with either TBARS values orSe-GPX activity.