DIETARY SPERMINE SUPPLEMENTATION INDUCES INTESTINAL MATURATION IN SEABASS (DICENTRARCHUS-LABRAX) LARVAE

Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) larvae were fed microparticulated comp ound diet containing 0 (FP0), 0.10 (FP10) and 0.33% (FP33) of a polyam ine, spermine, from day 20 to day 38. LP group was fed live prey. This group exhibited the highest growth and survival. The addition of sper mine did not lead to growth enhancement. A 33% survival improvement wa s obtained in FP33 group compared to FPO group. The spermine addition affected the activity of pancreatic enzymes, trypsin, chymotrypsin and amylase, during larvae development. This non specific effect suggeste d that the action of spermine would be mediated by hormones. In the in testine, the FP33 group exhibited from day 31 higher activities of bru sh border membrane enzymes (leucine aminopeptidase and alkaline phosph atase) and lower level in a cytosolic enzyme (leucine-alanine peptidas e) compared to FP10 and FPO group. The diet containing the highest spe rmine level induced an enzymatic profile similar to that obtained in L P group and characteristic of a mature enterocyte. The initiation of e nterocyte maturation at a proper development stage was associated to t he survival improvement observed in FP33 group.