1Guangdong South China Sea Key Laboratory of Aquaculture for Aquatic Economic Animals, Fishery College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524025, China.
2Southwest Research and Education Center, University of Florida, 2686 State Road 29 N, Immokalee, FL34142 USA.
* Corresponding author address: Everglades Division, South Florida Water Management District, 3301 Gun Club Road, West Palm Beach Fl 33406, USA, E-mail: gubinhe@gmail.com.
To assess the effects of different levels of dietary protein and L-carnitine on body composition and liver lipid content in juvenile Nile tilapia, triplicate groups of fish were fed on three levels of dietary protein (22, 25 and 28%) and five levels of L-carnitine (0, 200, 400, 600 and 800 mg kg−1) for a period of 56 d. The whole body and muscle protein contents increased, but the lipid content decreased with the increases in dietary protein levels. At the same dietary protein levels, protein contents in whole body and muscle tissue increased with the increases in L-carnitine levels. Lipid contents in whole body, muscle tissue and liver in all treatment groups decreased with the increases in L-carnitine levels. This experiment demonstrated that L-carnitine supplementation can help improve utilization of fats from the diets.
Dietary protein, L-carnitine, protein, lipid, Nile tilapia
