Abstract:
The aim of this experiment was to analyze the effect of applying of cyclical short periods of
starvation (2 days and 4 days) on the hematological profile of rainbow trout. This experiment lasted
for 46 days and was carried out in the facility of the University “Dunărea de Jos” from Galaţi. Six
treatments with duplicate were assigned, as follows: two control groups, feed daily, ad libitum, with
commercial pellets containing 41% crude protein (D41) and 50% crude protein (D50); two groups
starved for 2 days (D2) and then fed with commercial pellets with 41% crude protein (D2/41),
respectively 50% crude protein (D2/50) and two groups starved for 4 days (D4) and then fed with
commercial pellets with 41% crude protein (D4/41), respectively 50% crude protein (D4/50).
Starvation and re-feeding with different dietary protein level had no significant (p˃0.05) effect on
some hematological parameters including hematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular
hemoglobin, while hemoglobin, Red blood cell counts and mean corpuscular hemoglobin
concentration, registered significant differences (p˂0.05). Significantly higher (p˂0.05)
concentration of hemoglobin was observed in the case of fish fed with higher protein content, while
the increasing of the starvation period led to a significant decrease of the hemoglobin
concentration. Furthermore, starvation and subsequent feeding led to a significant decrease of the
erythrocyte number with the increasing of the starvation period.
