Development of digestive enzymes in larvae of Mayan cichlid Cichlasoma urophthalmus

Abstract

The development of digestive enzymes during the early ontogeny of the Mayan cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus) was studied using biochemical and electrophoretic techniques. From yolk absorption (6 days after hatching: dah), larvae were fed Artemia nauplii until 15 dah, afterward they were fed with commercial microparticulated trout food (45% protein and 16% lipids) from 16 to 60 dah. Several samples were collected including yolk-sac larvae (considered as day 1 after hatching) and specimens up to 60 dah. Most digestive enzymes were present from yolk absorption (5-6 dah), except for the specific acid proteases activity (pepsin-like), which increase rapidly from 8 dah up to 20 dah. Three alkaline proteases isoforms (24.0, 24.8, 84.5 kDa) were detected at 8 dah using SDS-PAGE zymogram, corresponding to trypsin, chymotrypsin and probably leucine aminopeptidase enzymes, and only one isoform was detected (relative electromobility, Rf = 0.54) for acid proteases (pepsin-like) from 3 dah onwards using PAGE zymogram. We concluded that C. urophthamus is a precocious fish with a great capacity to digest all kinds of food items, including artificial diets provided from 13 dah.

Changes on digestive enzymes during initial ontogeny in the three-spot cichlid Cichlasoma trimaculatum

“…On the other hand, exopeptidases such as carboxypeptidase A and leucine aminopeptidase were determined, which showed activity from the moment of larvae hatching, similarly to what was found in C. urophthalmus (López-Ramírez et al 2011), while leucine aminopeptidase early activity was described in species such as P. splendida (Uscanga-Martínez et al 2011) and Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (Tengjaroenkul et al 2002). Instead in species such as S. ocellatus (Lazo et al 2007); P. maculatofasciatus (Á lvarez-González et al 2008); C. undecimalis (Jiménez-Martínez et al 2012) at the beginning, a low leucine aminopeptidase activity is detected, increasing with time or with feed changes.…”

“…The above opposes to what is found in C. trimaculatum where the chymotrypsin type activity was detected coinciding with that described on C. urophthalmus (López-Ramírez et al 2011), which is possible since in omnivore and herbivore species the activity of chymotrypsin is found in higher proportion than that of trypsin, being inverted in carnivore and marine species (Jonas et al 1983). Therefore, in C. trimaculatum, the low amount of trypsin in the first days is compensated with chymotrypsin, while trypsin showed activity days later; this has been related with the transformation from larva to juvenile (Kolkovski 2001).…”

“…splendida) and Mayan cichlid (Cichlasoma urophthalmus), in which the fish farming in experimental scale and digestive physiology have been studied (Vidal et al 2009;Jiménez-Martínez et al 2009;Uscanga et al 2011;López-Ramírez et al 2011). Another species with potential for local aquaculture is the three-spot cichlid (Cichlasoma trimaculatum), an euryhaline species with omnivorous habits with tendency to carnivory, which is distributed in the coast of Chiapas, which dwells in rivers, lakes and estuaries (Yáñez-Arancibia 1978;Orellana-Amador 1992;Violante 1995;Miller 2009).…”

Effect of β-Glucans in Diets on Growth, Survival, Digestive Enzyme Activity, and Immune System and Intestinal Barrier Gene Expression for Tropical Gar (Atractosteus tropicus) Juveniles

“…However, the production of this species has been limited by the lack of studies regarding the development of specific foods that allow maximizing their growth and survival and increasing production on a commercial scale [1]. For this reason, several studies on A. tropicus have focused on maximizing the production performance of the species [2], developing balanced foods based on digestive physiology [3], and improving the growth and utilization of nutrients [4,5]. On the other hand, health impacts due to outbreaks of diseases under culture conditions generate large economic losses [6]; therefore, to reduce this impact, the use of immunostimulants could enhance the immune response and increase resistance of the organism against infectious diseases [7].…”

Partial Characterization of Digestive Proteases in the Green Cichlid, Cichlasoma beani

“…Prior studies examined the effects of stocking density on growth and survival of this species under culture conditions [4,5]. There are currently no studies on biochemistry and digestive physiology of this species, although studies have been conducted on digestive biochemistry in species of the genus Cichlasoma [6][7][8], which contribute…”