Modeling the Effect of Starvation on Phospholipid Content in Anabas testudineus (Climbing Perch) Bloch: An Integration Approach

Abstract

Phospholipids are the structural lipids, which play a major role instabilizing and integrating the bio membranes. They are important assignaling molecules, and maintain the cell homeostasis, but are notlooked upon as potential energy substrates. Not many studies, havebeen conducted, to learn the role of phospholipids, as energy reserves,during stressful conditions such as starvation. Apart from being theenergy substrates, for the starving animal, their, role as stabilizers tomaintain the appropriate cell structure seems to be much moreimportant for survival and to overcome the starvation stress. Tounderstand, these aspects, the present study has been attempted.Anabas testudineus, a sturdy, fresh water fish, from local waters, wasselected and subjected to short term (15 days) and long term(60days), laboratory starvation. Six tissues, such as liver, kidney,accessory respiratory organ, brain, pectoral and lateral line muscle,were selected for this study and phospholipids were estimated.Student "T" test was performed, to distinguish the level ofsignificance of the result. Integration was used to calculate thephospholipids over time, referred to as the area under the curve, AUC(t=0days to t= 60days). This study presented, an amalgamation ofelevation and decline of phospholipids, in the selected tissues. Thestudy results, illustrate the dual attributes of phospholipids, asefficient energy sources and also as effective stabilizers of biomembranes.