Effect of short-term starvation on hepatopancreas and plasma energy reserves of the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

Crustaceans are forced to fast during molting. Several physiological, metabolic and behavioral changes have been associated with starvation. Although some of these changes have been well studied, knowledge of the dynamics of fuel reserves during the molting process is limited. To understand the effects of short-term hunger stress on energy reserves, intermolt shrimpLitopenaeus vannameiwere starved up to five days. This period corresponds to the normal time that juvenile shrimp starve during molting, since they can not eat. Glucose, glycogen, total soluble protein, total lipids, sterols, and acylglycerides were measured in plasma and hepatopancreas. The same metabolic substrates were measured in organisms that were fed after 96 h of starvation. It is widely accepted that protein is the main energy reserve used by shrimp to deal with starvation. However, under short-term starvation a rapid decrease of plasma and hepatopancreas glucose and an important decrease in hepatopancreatic glycogen were detected. Additionally, acylglycerides content in hepatopancreas decreased significantly at later times, while protein in plasma and hepatopancreas remained fairly constant during the experiment. This study may help understand some aspects of the nutrition physiology of the Pacific white shrimp related to its biology. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.