Effects of the Replacement of Dietary Fish Meal with Poultry By-Product Meal on Growth and Intestinal Health of Chinese Soft-Shelled Turtle (<i>Pelodiscus sinensis</i>)

Abstract

To investigate the effect of poultry by-product meal (PBM) replacing fish meal on the growth and intestinal health of Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis). Four experimental diets were prepared. Fish meal was replaced by 0 (control group, PBM0), 5% (PBM5), 10% (PBM10), and 15% (PBM15) PBM. Compared to the control group, final body weight, weight gain, and specific growth rate were significantly increased, while feed conversion rate decreased significantly in the PBM10 group (p p p p p p IL-10) gene was significantly down-regulated in the PBM10 group and the PBM15 group (p γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and liver toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) genes were significantly up-regulated in the PBM5 group (p < 0.05). In summary, poultry by-product meal can be used as a protein source to replace fish meal in turtle feed. Based on quadratic regression analysis, the optimal replacement ratio is 7.39%.

Keywords

• poultry by-product meal
• growth
• immunity
• antioxidation
• intestinal health
• <i>Pelodiscus sinensis</i>