Search

IntroductionPerilla oil is a natural vegetable oil rich in alpha-linolenic acid extracted from Perilla seeds. Fish oil is a commonly used animal fat containing a large amount of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Soybean oil is a commonly used vegetable oil rich in linoleic acid. This study aimed to determine whether perilla, fish, or soybean oil can be used as a lipid source in the diet of the Chinese giant salamander (Andrias davidianus).MethodsThree isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were created by adding 3.0% each of soybean oil (SO), fish oil (FO), and perilla seed oil (PSO). Eight adolescent giant salamanders were fed in rectangular tanks for 98 days with a total of 96 giant salamanders (mean body weight = 75.20g) and were fed an experimental diet until satiation.Results and DiscussionThe viscerosomatic index and crude lipid content of muscle were found to be considerably lower and the muscle crude protein was substantially higher in the PSO group than in the other groups (P