Abstract

This study was designed to evaluate the effect of fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) on blood RBC (red blood cell) count and digestive enzyme activities of oxyeleotris lineolatus. 60 oxyeleotris lineolatus were randomly divided into three groups with 20 fish in each group: control, low and high dose of FOS-treated groups. Animals in the control group consumed basic feed, animals in FOS-treated groups consumed the feed containing 1.5 and 3% FOS, respectively. After 20 days of FOS administration, growth rate, blood RBC count andhemoglobin (Hb) level of oxyeleotris lineolatus were dose-dependently significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) compared to control group, in addition, digestive enzyme activities in stomach and intestine of oxyeleotris lineolatus were dose-dependently significantly enhanced (P < 0.05) compared to control group. The present data indicated that supplementation of FOS could improve nutritive value of food through altering its digestibility and intestinal morphology. In other words, the addition of an appropriate level of digestible carbohydrates to the diet made with this raw material improved the nutritive utilization of the dietary protein and of the diet as a whole.

Key words: RBC, Hb, oxyeleotris lineolatus, digestive enzyme, FOS.