{
  "id": 7090076,
  "title": "Profile of the digestive and absorptive functions in the intestine of fish with different dietary habits and in response to increased dietary carbohydrate or protein.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/13/profile-of-the-digestive-and-absorptive-functions-in-the-intestine-of",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-13T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.07.749816v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent study has explored the digestive and absorptive functions in three commercially important farmed fish species - Nile tilapia, common carp, and rainbow trout. These fish were examined for their ability to break down disaccharides and absorb sodium-dependent glucose, as well as their expression of specific enzymes and transporters.\n\nNile tilapia showed the highest activity levels of maltase and sucrase, which are responsible for breaking down disaccharides. They also exhibited the highest activity of sodium-glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1), which facilitates the absorption of glucose in the intestine. Common carp followed closely behind tilapia, while rainbow trout had the lowest levels of both disaccharidase activity and SGLT1 expression.\n\nThe study also revealed regional differences in the three species, with varying activity levels and expression of certain enzymes and transporters across their intestines. Aminopeptidase A (APA) and aminopeptidase N (APN) activities were typically higher in tilapia, while the neutral amino acid transporter B0AT1 was roughly twice as abundant in tilapia and carp compared to trout.\n\nTo further investigate how these fish species respond to changes in their diet, researchers assessed their digestive profiles when fed low-carbohydrate/high-protein and high-carbohydrate/low-protein diets. Common carp and zebrafish were found to adapt to high-carbohydrate diets by up-regulating both disaccharidase and SGLT1 activity. Common carp increased SGLT1 protein abundance by 2.7 times in the foregut and 4.6 times in the hindgut. In contrast, rainbow trout increased disaccharidase activity but did not change SGLT1 expression in response to a high-carbohydrate diet.\n\nWhen dietary protein levels were increased, both rainbow trout and common carp showed changes in their enzymatic activity and transporter expression. They down-regulated APN activity but upregulated B0AT1 expression by approximately two-fold. These findings highlight important physiological limitations for formulating sustainable plant-based aquafeeds, as these physiological adaptations are critical considerations for maintaining the health and well-being of farmed fish.",
  "summary": "Global aquaculture has grown significantly, but to maintain current consumption, supply must double over the next 20 years. Here, we characterised the digestive and absorptive capacities in the intestines of three commercially important, farmed fish species with varying natural diets: Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), common carp (Cyprinus carpio ), and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}