The optimum dietary methionine requirement of juvenile humpback grouper (Cromileptes altivelis): effects on growth, micromorphology, protein and lipid metabolism

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate optimum dietary methionine (Met) requirement of juvenile humpback grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) and the influence of dietary methionine (Met) supplementations on growth, gut micromorphology, protein and lipid metabolism. Seven isoproteic (48.91%) and isolipidic diets (10%) were made to contain 0.70, 0.88, 1.04, 1.27 1.46, 1.61 and 1.76% of dry matter Met levels. Results showed that lower survival, weight gain (WG%), protein efficiency ratio (PER), protein productive value (PPV) but higher daily feed intake (DFI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed in the Met deficient groups (0.70 and 0.88%). Optimum dietary Met requirement for humpback grouper was found to be 1.07% through the straight-broken line analysis of WG% against Met. Fish fed Met deficient diets (0.70, 0.88%) exhibited lower mRNA levels of growth hormone (GH), growth hormone receptor (GHR), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-1), target of rapamycin (TOR) as well as S6 kinase 1 (S6K1) than other dietary groups. Whereas, expression of genes related to general control nonderepressible (GCN2) kinase i.e., GCN2 and C/EBPβ enhancer-binding protein β was upregulated in fish fed low Met diets (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of hepatic fatty acid synthase (FAS) and sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP-1) were higher in fish fed 0.70 and 0.88% dietary Met group and the lipolytic genes, hepatic peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and carnitine palmitoyl transferase-1 (CPT-1) showed an opposite variation tendency as FAS or SREBP1. Generally, the optimum Met requirement for humpback grouper was predicted to be 1.07% of dry matter.