Variation among arthropod taxa in the amino acid content of exoskeleton and digestible tissue.

ABSTRACT: Arthropod consumption provides amino acids to invertebrates and vertebrates alike, but not all amino acids in arthropods may be digestible as some are bound in the exoskeleton. Consumers may not be able to digest exoskeleton in significant amounts or avoid it entirely (e.g., extraoral digestion). Hence, measures that do not separate digestible amino acids from those in exoskeleton may not accurately represent the amino acids available to consumers. Additionally, arthropods are taxonomically diverse, and it remains unclear if taxonomic differences also reflect differences in amino acid availability. Thus, we tested: (1) if there were consistent differences in the content and balance of amino acids between the digestible tissue and exoskeleton of arthropods and (2) if arthropod Orders differ

SUBMITTER: Reeves JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10365971 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature