Evaluation of levels of digestible protein for bullfrog tadpoles through growth curve

• Grant number: 12/23260-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Effective date (Start): March 01, 2013
• Effective date (End): February 28, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Fishery Resources and Fishery Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Marta Verardino de Stéfani
• Grantee: Donovan Filipe Henrique Pinto
• Home Institution: Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Raniculture to achieve satisfactory levels of production it is essential that tadpole industry manages healthy and homogeneous animals. Culminating factor in this process is an adequate diet to provide the tadpoles nutritional requirements. The use of digestible protein (DP) restricts the animal to receive only the required amount of protein for healthy development. This study proposes to determine the optimal level of digestible protein that provides the best performance and health of the tadpoles by testing the levels of 21, 23, 25, 27, 29 and 31% (DP) analyzed through nonlinear growth curve and liver and kidney histological analysis. For this, 9120 bullfrog tadpoles will be used, distributed in 24 experimental boxes in a completely randomized design (CRD) with six treatments and four replications. Biometric analysis will be performed every 10 days for the calculation of weight gain, feed conversion, specific growth rate, protein efficiency rate and tadpoles body composition assessments (protein, fat, ash and dry matter). Liver and kidney histological analysis will be performed at the beginning, middle and the end of the trial period. Gombertz nonlinear model will be adopted to describe the growth curves of the parameters of weight, morphometric and diet intake of tadpoles. Such information will be important to generate guidelines to determine the requirements of other nutrients, enabling the formulation of a specific diet for bullfrog tadpoles.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PINTO, DONOVAN F. H.; MANSANO, CLEBER F. M.; DE STEFANI, MARTA V.; PEREIRA, MARCELO M. Optimal digestible protein level for bullfrog tadpoles. Aquaculture, v. 440, p. 12-16, APR 1 2015. Web of Science Citations: 4.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

PINTO, Donovan Filipe Henrique. Avaliação de níveis de proteína digestível para girinos de rã-touro. 2014. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual Paulista "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" Centro de Aquicultura.