Estimation of dietary vitamin A requirement of juvenile soft‐shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis

• Published in: Aquaculture nutrition Vol. 21; no. 4; pp. 457 - 463
• Main Authors: Chen, L.‐P, Huang, C.‐H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Science 01.08.2015; Blackwell Publishing Ltd; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: body weight; dietary supplements; erythrocyte count; growth performance; juveniles; liver; Pelodiscus sinensis; retinol; retinyl acetate; soft-shelled turtle; turtles; vitamin A; vitamin A requirement; weight gain
• ISSN: 1353-5773; 1365-2095
• DOI: 10.1111/anu.12172

A feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the dietary vitamin A requirement of the soft‐shelled turtle Pelodiscus sinensis. Turtles with an approximate body weight of 6.8 g were fed diets containing 0–4.58 mg kg⁻¹ (15 251 IU) vitamin A (retinyl acetate) for 8 weeks. Turtles fed diets without vitamin A showed the lowest growth performance. The animals gradually gained weight when dietary vitamin A increased from 0 to 3.6 mg kg⁻¹. Liver vitamin A gradually increased with supplementation of dietary vitamin A of up to 2.7 mg kg⁻¹. Beyond this concentration, the vitamin A in the liver significantly increased. Data analysis using a polynomial regression or exponential model showed that the estimated dietary vitamin A requirement for juvenile soft‐shelled turtles based on weight gain, red blood cell count and liver vitamin A measurements was 3.48, 2.84 and 2.58 mg kg⁻¹, respectively.