Growth and metabolic responses of juvenile Macrobrachium nipponense to different dietary carbohydrate levels

It remains controversial whether carbohydrate can be efficiently used by crustaceans. Six isonitrogenous and isolipid diets were formulated containing 50–350 g kg^–1 corn starch and were fed to juvenile prawns (mean weight, 0.133 ± 0.003 g) for 56 days in five replicates. Prawns fed 50–150 g kg^–1 corn starch attained significantly greater weight gain. Digestive enzyme activities were significantly affected by dietary corn starch level. Hepatopancreatic and muscle glycogen levels peaked in prawns fed 350 g kg^–1 and 150 g kg^–1 corn starch content, respectively. Prawns fed 350 g kg^–1 corn starch had a significantly higher haemolymph glucose level than that in the other groups. Hepatopancreatic hexokinase (HK) activity increased significantly as corn starch level was increased. Hepatopancreatic pyruvate kinase (PK) activity of prawns fed the 150 g kg^–1 and 250 g kg^–1 corn starch was significantly higher than that of prawns fed 50 g kg^–1 corn starch. Including carbohydrate in the diet promoted increased lipogenic activities (glucose‐6‐phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme) in the hepatopancreas. Hepatopancreatic HK and PK mRNA expression levels had similar trends with their activities. The 350 g kg^–1 corn starch level induced the highest glucose‐6‐phosphatase and pyruvate carboxylase mRNA expression levels. Overall, moderate metabolic adaptations for using dietary corn starch were detected in Macrobrachium nipponense; however, a high proportion (>150 g kg^–1 ) of corn starch in the diet may reduce growth.