Dietary microbial phytase increased the phosphorus digestibility in juvenile Korean rockfish Sebastes schlegeli fed diets containing soybean meal

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary microbial phytase supplementation on nutrient digestibility, growth performance and body composition in juvenile Korean rockfish fed soybean meal-based diets. Nine experimental diets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric to contain 48.6% crude protein (CP) and 15.9 kJ of available energy/g with or without dietary phytase (Natuphos-5000(TM), BASF, NJ, USA) supplementation. White fish meal (FM) provided 89.1% of the total protein in the basal diet (S-0), in the other eight diets, 30 or 40% FM protein was replaced by soybean meal: 70% FM+30% soybean meal (S-30); 70% FM+30% 1000 U phytase pretreated SM (S30PP1000); 70% FM+30% SM+1000 U phytase/kg diet (S30P1000); 70% FM+30% SM+2000 U phytase/kg diet (S30P2ooo); 60% FM+40% SM (S-40); 60% FM+40% 1000 U P-tre, SM (S40PP1000); 60% FM+40% SM+1000 U phytase/kg diet (S40P1000); and 60% FM+40% SM+2000 U phytase/kg diet (S40P2000). After 2 weeks of the adaptation, triplicate groups of 20 fish initially averaging 7.25+/-0.04 g (mean+/-S.D.) were randomly distributed into the aquarium and were fed one of the experimental diets for 8 weeks. By the end of the 8-week feeding trial, supplementation of phytase significantly improved the apparent digestibility coefficient (ADC) of phosphorus in rockfish diets (P<0.05) containing 30% and 40% soybean meal regardless of the level and method of phytase supplementation. Supplementation of phytase significantly increased the ADC of dry matter in diets containing 30% soybean meal (P<0.05). However, phytase had no influence on growth performance and whole body composition of fish. The pretreatment of soybean meal with 1000 U phytase improved weight gain (WG) when 30% fish meal protein was replaced by soybean meal. Based on the experimental results, we conclude that supplementation of phytase can improve the apparent digestibility coefficient of phosphorus in Korean rockfish. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.