EFEITOS DA SUPLEMENTAÇÃO COMBINADA DE LISINA E METIONINA NO DESEMPENHO E EXPRESSÃO DE GENES RELACIONADOS AO CRESCIMENTO MUSCULAR DE ALEVINOS DE TILÁPIA DO NILO, Oreochromis niloticus

Abstract

This work was carried out with the objective of evaluating the effects of the combination of lysine and methionine on the performance of growth and expression of genes related to muscle growth in sexually reversed Nile tilapia fingerlings. Fish (n = 336, initial weight 0.90 ± 0.01 g) were randomly distributed into 24 70 L aquaria with a continuous water flow system in an entirely randomized design with four treatments and six replicates. Four isoproteic (~330.50 g/kg crude protein) and isocaloric (~ 18.59 MJ / kg) diets without lysine or methionine supplementation (Control), or supplemented with lysine (Lys), methionine (Met) and lysine and methionine (Lys + Met) were elaborated. Fish were hand fed until apparent satiety. Fish fed diets Lys+Met and Met showed higher final body weight and specific growth ratio compared to fish fed other diets. The protein efficiency ratio was higher in fish diet Lys compared to fish fed other diets. Fish fed Met and Lys+Met diets showed lower hepatosomatic index and whole-body fat compared to fish fed the control diet. Feed intake, survival and whole-body moisture, crude protein, ash and mRNA expression of myostatin of fish were not affected by diets. Fish fed diet Lys+Met demonstrated higher mRNA expression level of MyoD compared to those fed the control diet. In conclusion, Nile tilapia fingerlings fed combined lysine and methionine demonstrates improved growth performance in line to higher mRNA expression of MyoD and myogenin, and also reduced body fat contents