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The effect of dietary L-carnitine on the growth performance in fingerlings of the african catfish (Clarias gariepinus) in relation to dietary lipid

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Els Torreele ,
Ad van Der Sluiszen  and
Johan Verreth
Els Torreele
Affiliation:
Department of Fish Culture and Fisheries, Wageningen Agricultural University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
Ad van Der Sluiszen
Affiliation:
Department of Fish Culture and Fisheries, Wageningen Agricultural University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
Johan Verreth
Affiliation:
Department of Fish Culture and Fisheries, Wageningen Agricultural University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Abstract

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The effect of dietary L-carnitine on the growth and growth efficiency of African catifish (Clarias gariepinus, Burchell 1822) fingerlings was investigated. Six dietary levels of L-carnitine, varying from the conrol level (about 125 mg/kg) to 3920 mg/kg, were each tested at two dietary lipid levels (96 and 155 g/kg). The diets were isonitrogenous and were fed to thirty-six experimental groups of 100 fish weighing 5 g at a feeding level of 25·2 g/kg live weight(w)0.8 per d, during 18 d. The average final weight varied from 19·1 to 28·0 g. At a dietary lipid level of 96 g/kg the metabolic growth increased from 30·8 to 36·5 g/kg w0.8 per d. At the higher dietary lipid level the metabolic growth increased from 30·9 to 35·4 g/kg w0.8 per d. To assess the dose–response relationship between dietary L-carnitine and growth performance in the African catfish a linear-plateau model was fitted to the experimental data. According to this model, metabolic growth was at a maximum at L-carnitine levels of 500 mg/kg and above at a lipid level of 96 g/kg and at L-carnitine levels of 684 mg/kg and above at a lipid level of 155 g/kg. The fitted maximum metabolic growth was higher at a dietary lipid level of 96 g/kg (35·9 g/kg w0.8 per d) than at 155 g/kg (34·7 g/kg w0.8 per d). Feed conversion improved significantly with increasing dietary levels of L-carnitine, reaching a fitted plateau at L-carnitine levels of 448·8 and 236·7 mg/kg respectively for the high and low dietary fat levels. Other growth efficiency variables, e.g. protein efficiency ratio, protein retention and energy retention improved accordingly. Taking into consideration that all fish received the same amount of feed, the results of the present study demonstrate that the positive effect of increased levels of dietary L-carnitine is the result of an improved feed utilization, probably because of a stimulated protein-sparing action.

Keywords

L-CarnitineFat intakeFish nutritionAfrican catfish
Type
Dietary Fat and Carnitine Supplementation
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 69 , Issue 1 , January 1993 , pp. 289 - 299
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1993

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