Effects of different levels of dietary taurine amino acid on Rosy Barb (Pethia conchonius) pigmentation

Taurine (2 amino ethane sulfonic acid), is a semi-essential amino acid and an end product of the sulfur amino acid metabolism. The aim of this study was improving Rosy barb (Pethia conchonius) pigmentation. The fish (average weight 32 ± 7 mg and length 12.83 ± 1.82 mm) were divided into five different groups including control (basic diet without taurine and astaxanthin) and four different levels of taurine (0, 100, 250 & 500 mg/kg diet) with constant amount of astaxanthin (100 mg/kg diet) and fed for 60 days. The pigmentation analysis was done using digital camera photography and whole body biochemical carotenoid analysis and showed that the fish fed on 100 + 250 mg/kg of astaxanthin & taurine respectively had the highest levels of pigmentation. Adding taurine up to 250 (mg/kg diet) caused increasing total carcasses lipid, plasma triglyceride, cholesterol, LDL & HDL levels in compression to the fish fed on control diet (p<0.05). It could be concluded that dietary taurine supplementation could affect fish lipid metabolism and improve astaxanthin absorption, which lead to better pigmentation in Rosy barb.