Effects of dietary β‐carotene levels on growth and liver vitamin A concentrations of the soft‐shelled turtle,Pelodiscus sinensis (Wiegmann) |
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| Authors: | Li‐Pin Chen Chen‐Huei Huang |
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| Institution: | Department of Aquatic Biosciences, National Chiayi University, Chiayi, ?Taiwan |
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| Abstract: | A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary β‐carotene level on the growth and liver vitamin A concentrations in soft‐shelled turtles, Pelodiscus sinensis, fed a vitamin A‐free diet. Soft‐shelled turtles were fed diets containing 0, 14.5, 26.5, 47.5, 87.3, 112.8 and 163.8 mg β‐carotene kg?1 for 10 weeks. Although it was not statistically significant due to high deviation within each group, mean weight gain of soft‐shelled turtles fed the diet without β‐carotene supplementation was the lowest among all test groups. Vitamin A concentrations in liver of turtles significantly (P<0.05) increased when dietary β‐carotene level reached 47.5 mg kg?1 indicating that soft‐shelled turtles were capable of converting β‐carotene to vitamin A. Analysed by regression modelling, dietary β‐carotene levels for optimal growth and maximal liver vitamin A contents of juvenile soft‐shelled turtles fed the vitamin A‐free diets were 49.1 and 88.7 mg kg?1 respectively. |
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| Keywords: | β ‐carotene soft‐shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis vitamin A |
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