Published Paper Details:

Dietary organic acids significantly influence fish metabolism through complex biochemical pathways affecting protein synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and nucleic acid dynamics. This study investigated the temporal effects of graded citric acid supplementation (2%, 4%, and 6%) on tissue-specific protein content, free amino acid profiles, nucleic acid concentrations, and blood glucose levels in Channa striatus over 28 days. Fish were fed experimental diets and sampled at 7, 14, 21, and 28 days for biochemical analysis of muscle and liver tissues. Protein quantification utilized Bradford assay, amino acids were analyzed by ninhydrin method, and nucleic acids were extracted and quantified spectrophotometrically. Results revealed significant dose-dependent increases in tissue protein content, with 6% citric acid treatment achieving 84.86% and 49.14% increases in muscle and liver proteins, respectively, after 28 days. Conversely, free amino acid levels decreased progressively, indicating enhanced incorporation into protein synthesis pathways. RNA content increased substantially in both tissues (23.05% in muscle, 40.05% in liver with 6% treatment), while DNA showed modest but significant increases at higher doses. Blood glucose levels decreased significantly across all treatments, suggesting improved glucose utilization efficiency. These findings demonstrate that citric acid supplementation orchestrates a comprehensive metabolic reprogramming characterized by enhanced protein anabolism, accelerated nucleic acid synthesis, and optimized glucose metabolism, providing mechanistic insights into growth enhancement in aquaculture species.