文摘
In commercial feeds for farmed fish species, inclusion of digestible forms of carbohydrates is indispensable due to their low cost, abundance and functions such as protein sparing and pellet binding. The utilisation of carbohydrates in fish is influenced by a complex array of factors that include various aspects concerning the biology of the farmed species, composition/processing of the feed and changes in the rearing environment. Lack of flexibility in the digestive process and discrepancies in the hormonal and metabolic regulation of blood glucose clearance are mostly responsible for the poor utilisation of carbohydrate rich diets in carnivorous fishes. Metabolic programming in early life through nutritional stimulus, genetic selection and optimising the macronutrient interface are some of the strategies that could potentially improve carbohydrate utilisation in carnivorous fish.