Comparative Analysis of Physiological Responses and Intestinal Microbiota in Juvenile Soft-Shelled Turtle (<i>Pelodiscus sinensis</i>) Fed Four Types of Dietary Carbohydrates

Abstract

A 60 day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the impacts of dietary carbohydrates with different complexities and configurations on the growth, plasma parameters, apparent digestibility, intestinal microbiota, glucose, and lipid metabolism of soft-shelled turtles (Pelodiscus sinensis). Four experimental diets were formulated by adding 170 g/kg glucose, fructose, α-starch, or cellulose, respectively. A total of 280 turtles (initial body weight 5.11 ± 0.21 g) were distributed into 28 tanks and were fed twice daily. The results showed that the best growth performance and apparent digestibility was observed in the α-starch group, followed by the glucose, fructose, and cellulose groups (p p srebp and chrebp) (p srebp and chrebp. Cellulose enhanced the proportion of opportunistic pathogenic bacteria. In conclusion, P. sinensis utilized α-starch better than glucose, fructose, and cellulose.

Keywords

• <i>Pelodiscus sinensis</i>
• carbohydrate
• growth
• glucose and lipid metabolism
• intestinal microbiota