Influences of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) dietary supplementation on growth, feed utilization, and expression of lipid metabolism genes in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) fed a high-fat diet.

An 8-week feeding trial was performed to test the effects of glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) on growth and some gene expression of hepatic lipid metabolism in channel catfish (initial body weight, 3.5 ± 0.02 g) fed high-fat diets. Fish were fed the control diet, high-fat diet (HFD), and HFD supplemented with 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 mg/kg GA in 15 tanks at a stocking density of 21 fish/tank. Fish fed HFD were significantly lower in body weight gain and specific growth rate but higher in feed intake and feed conversion ratio in comparison to the control. Supplement of GA at 1.2 mg/kg remarkably improved these parameters as compared to the control diet. High levels of cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) in plasma were observed in fish fed HFD; the opposite was observed for fish fed HFD supplemented with GA. The transcription of fatty acid synthase (FAS), sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1 (SREBP1), liver X receptor alpha (LXRα), and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) was upregulated, while that of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I (CPT1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha (PPARα), acyl-CoA oxidase (ACO), and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) mRNA expression were downregulated in fish fed HFD. The opposite was observed in fish fed HFD supplemented with GA as well as the control group. In conclusion, supplementing the HFD with GA at 1.2 mg/kg could improve the growth performance and lipid metabolism of channel catfish consuming HFD.