Effects of the Dietary Microbial Phytase Supplementation on Bioavailability of Phosphorus in Juvenile Olive Flounder Paralichthys olivaceus Fed Soybean Meal based Diets

An 8 weeks feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effects of dietary microbial phytase (P) supplementation on nutrient digestibility, and body composition in juvenile olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus fed soybean meal-based diets. Seven experimentaldiets were formulated to be isonitrogenous and isocaloric to contain 50.0% crude protein (CP) and 16.7 kJ of available energy/g with or without dietary phytase supplementation. White fish meal (FM) provided 92.4% of the total protein in the basal diet (S0), in the other 6 diets, 30% or 40% FM protein was replaced by soybean meal: 70% FM + 30% soybean meal (S30); 70% FM + 30% SM + 1000 U phytase/kg diet (S30P1000); 70% FM + 30% SM + 2000 U phytase/kg diet (S30P2000); 60% FM + 40% SM (S40); 60% FM + 40% SM + 1000 U phytase/kg diet (S40P1000); and 60% FM + 40% SM + 2000 U phytase/kg diet (S40P2000). After two weeks of the conditioning period, triplicate groups of 25 fish initially averaging 6.15 ± 0.04 g (mean ± S.D.) were randomly distributed into the aquarium and were fed one of the experimental diets for 8 weeks. After feeding trial, supplementation of phytase significantly improved the apparent digestibility coefficients of phosphorus in flounder diets (P