Comparative study of α-amylase activity in three Cyprinid species of different feeding habits from Southern Iraq

Abstract

This work provides a comparative data of α-amylase activity in the gut extract of three Cyprinid species inhabiting Garma River (Basrah Governorate, Southern Iraq). Those species are bunny Barbus sharpeyi (herbivorous), common carp Cyprinus carpio (omnivorous), and shilik Aspius vorax (carnivorous). The study also investigate the discrepancy between the activity of the enzyme in common carp collected from Garma river with those reared in ponds. The specific activity of αamylase has apparently been influenced by feeding habits of the three studied species. Values of α-amylase activity averaged 1.84 U mg -1 protein in the herbivorous bunny. It showed a significant (P<0.01) superiority to that of the omnivorous common carp (1.33 U mg -1 protein) which, in turn, showed a significant (P<0.01) superiority to that of the carnivorous shilik (0.76 U mg -1 protein). Omnivorous common carp which was collected from fish ponds showed a significantly (P<0.01) higher value of α-amylase specific activity which reached 1.92 U mg -1 protein when compared with the value recorded in common carp collected from Garma River which reached 1.33 U mg -1 protein.