Physiological, Nutritional and Transcriptomic Responses of Sturgeon (<i>Acipenser schrenckii</i>) to Complete Substitution of Fishmeal with Cottonseed Protein Concentrate in Aquafeed

Abstract

This study estimated the effect of substituting fishmeal completely with cottonseed protein concentrate (CPC) in the diet of sturgeon (Acipenser schrenckii) on growth, digestive physiology, and hepatic gene expression. A control diet containing fishmeal and an experimental diet based on CPC was designed. The study was conducted for 56 days in indoor recirculating aquaculture systems. The results showed that weight gain, feed efficiency, and whole-body essential amino acids (EAAs) all decreased significantly in the experimental group, while whole-body non-essential amino acids (NEAAs) and serum transaminase activity increased (p p A. schrenckii growth and physiology. This study provides valuable data for the development of improved aquafeeds and the use of molecular methods to evaluate the diet performance of sturgeon.

Keywords

• <i>Acipenser schrenckii</i>
• liver
• transcriptome
• differentially expressed genes