High dietary carbohydrate inclusion by both protein and lipid replacement in gilthead sea bream. Changes in digestive and absorptive processes

The effect of high amounts of dietary carbohydrates on digestive and absorptive processes was studied in juvenile gilthead sea bream. Two trials were conducted over 14 weeks. In the first trial, sea bream were fed with isoproteic diets with lipid replaced with starch and in the second with isolipidic diets with protein replaced with starch; in both wheat starch was included at above the established maximum levels for this fish species. At the end of each trial, intestinal alkaline protease, α-amylase and lipase activities were measured post-feeding, and alkaline phosphatase and leucine aminopeptidase activities and nutrient absorption capacities were measured under basal conditions.