Abstract
This study evaluated liver and gut alterations of gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata L., fed diets in which 12 fish meal was substituted by a mixture (M) of pea protein concentrate (PPC) and rice protein concentrate 13 (RPC). Histological studies were conducted to evaluate the possible changes produced by four 14 experimental isolipidic (18%) and isoproteic (48%CP) diets with 30, 60 and 90% of fish meal substitution 15 by a pea and rice mixture and compared with a control diet (0%). 16 The results obtained in the present histological study showed significant changes especially in the case of 17 the 90% substitution in parameters such as thickness of the layers, goblet cells and villi measurements. 18 Structural integrity of the gut would not be significantly affected by a diet of up to 60% substitution. The 19 alterations observed in the liver could not only be attributed to diet but also to possible individual variations.
