Factorial effects of salinity, dietary carbohydrate and moult cycle on digestive carbohydrases and hexokinases in Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931)

Litopenaeus vannamei were reared in close cycle over seven generations and tested for their capacity to digest starch and to metabolise glucose at different stages of the moulting cycle. After acclimation with 42.3% of carbohydrates (HCBH) or 2.3% carbohydrates (LCBH) diets and at high salinity (40 g kg−1) or low salinity (15 g kg−1), shrimp were sampled and hepatopancreas (HP) were stored. Total soluble protein in HP was affected by the interaction between salinity and moult stages (p<0.05). Specific activity of α-amylase ranged from 44 to 241 U mg protein−1 and a significant interaction between salinity and moult stages was observed (p<0.05), resulting in highest values at stage C for low salinity (mean value 196.4 U mg protein−1), and at D0 in high salinity (mean value 175.7 U mg protein−1). Specific activity of α-glucosidase ranged between 0.09 and 0.63 U mg protein−1, an interaction between dietary CBH and salinity was observed for the α-glucosidase (p<0.05) and highest mean value was found in low salinity-LCBH diet treatment (0.329 U mg protein−1). Hexokinase specific activity (range 9-113 mU mg protein−1) showed no significant differences when measured at 5 mM glucose (p>0.05). Total hexokinase specific activity (range 17-215 mU mg protein−1) showed a significant interaction between dietary CBH and salinity (p<0.05) with highest value (mean value 78.5 mU mg protein−1) found in HCBH-high salinity treatment, whereas in the other treatments the activity was not significantly different (mean value 35.93 mU mg protein−1). A synergistic effect of dietary CBH, salinity and moult stages over hexokinase IV-like specific activity was also observed (p<0.05). As result of this interaction, the highest value (135.5±81 mU mg protein−1) was observed in HCBH, high salinity at D0 moult stage. Digestive enzymes activity is enhanced in the presence of high starch diet (HCBH) and hexokinase can be induced at certain moulting stages under the influence of blood glucose level. Perspectives are opened to add more carbohydrates in a growing diet, exemplifying the potential approach for less-polluting feed.