Protein‐sparing effects and LPL gene expressions of dietary lipids in the juvenile soft‐shelled turtle,Pelodiscussinensis

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary lipids on protein‐sparing and lipoprotein lipase (LPL) mRNA expression in culture using 360 juvenile soft‐shelled turtles (Pelodiscussinensis) (initial weight 4.26 ± 0.14 g). The turtles were allotted to six diets with three duplicates for 60 days. A control diet with 46% protein and 55% fishmeal (CD) and five isonitrogenous diets with 41.3% protein and 45% fishmeal (F, S, L1, L2 and L3) were used, containing the following three lipid types: fish oil, soybean oil and mixed oils (soybean oil: fish oil = 1:1). The results showed that the survival rate was not affected by dietary lipids (P > 0.05). The highest weight gain and lowest feed coefficient ratio were seen in the L3 diets (P < 0.05). Turtles fed with L2 and L3 diets had lower superoxide dismutase activities, higher alanine aminotransferase activities and higher cholesterol concentrations than those exposed to other diets (P < 0.05). Hepatic LPL activity and LPL mRNA expression were higher in the L3 diets than in the other diets (P < 0.05). Overall, there were obvious protein‐sparing effects of dietary lipids and LPL mRNA expression was stimulated by high dietary lipids in soft‐shelled turtles in this study.