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Contribution to the physiology of digestion in Tilapia mossambica Peters: Digestive enzymes and the effects of diets on their activity

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Summary

  1. 1.

    Tilapia mossambica Peters was used as an experimental animal in studies of the pH optima of amylase, lipase, pepsin and trypsin. They were 6.71, 7.15, 2.8, and 8.0–8.2 respectively. The optima were in general agreement with those from studies on other teleosts.

  2. 2.

    A weak amylolytic activity was found in esophagus and stomach.

  3. 3.

    In the entire digestive tract, lipolytic activity (at its pH optimum) appeared to be strongest in the stomach. However, since the prevailing pH (3.0–5.0) here is so low, lipase will in all probability not show a marked activity in this organ.

  4. 4.

    The effects of special diets (protein, carbohydrate, fat-rich) on the activity of these enzymes were studied: amylase and trypsin showed a positive correlation with the diet, whereas pepsin and lipase did not show such a correlation.

Zusammenfassung

Bei Tilapia mossambica Peters wurden die pH-Optima der Amylase (6.71), Lipase (7.15), des Trypsins (8.0–8.2) und Pepsins (2.8) bestimmt. Sie stimmen mit den Ergebnissen an anderen Teleosteern überein.

Im Oesophagus und Magen wurde eine schwache Amylase-Aktivität gefunden.

Die Lipase-Aktivität (bei ihrem pH-Optimum) ist am größten im Magen. Da jedoch der pH (3.0–5.0) hier niedrig ist, ist die Lipase-Wirksamkeit im Magen wahrscheinlich gering.

Die Wirkung von eiweiß-, kohlenhydrat- bzw. fettreicher Nahrung auf die Aktivität der Fermente wurde untersucht: Amylase und Trypsin zeigten eine positive Korrelation mit der Nahrung, Pepsin und Lipase nicht.

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This research was carried out in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Zoology at the University of Hawaii.

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Nagase, G. Contribution to the physiology of digestion in Tilapia mossambica Peters: Digestive enzymes and the effects of diets on their activity. Z. Vergl. Physiol. 49, 270–284 (1964). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298199

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00298199

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