Serum amino acid concentrations during starvation in the prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii, as an indicator of metabolic requirements

Abstract

1. 1. A 5-day starvation period resulted in a significant decrease in the concentration of selected free amino acids in serum of the prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. The greatest decrease occurred in proline, glutamic acid, methionine and phenylalanine followed by leucine, alanine, aspartic acid and serine. Glycine was the only amino acid not observed to decrease in concentration over the same time period. 2. 2. The concentrations of total amino acids (bound and free) for each amino acid measured were not affected by a 5-day period of starvation. 3. 3. It is suggested that amino acids rapidly removed from serum during short-term starvation were probably most critical for tissue metabolism and indicated relative metabolic requirements for selected amino acids. © 1982.