Evaluation of the Dietary Zinc Requirement of Penaeus vannamei and Effects of Phytic Acid on Zinc and Phosphorus Bioavailability

Experiments were conducted to determine the dietary zinc requirement of Penaeus vannomri and evaluate the effects of phytate on zinc bioavailability. Prior to initiation of the growth trial, 20-day-old P. vonnamei postlarvae (mean weight 0.0032 g) were fed a casein-gelatin based semi-purified diet lacking zinc supplementation but containing 18 mg Zn/kg diet for one week. Subsequently, juveniles (mean weight 0.058 g) were fed one of seven diets containing either supplemental zinc (0, 15, 30, 60 mg/kg diet) without phytate or supplemental zinc (0, 60, 200 mg/kg diet) with 1.5% phytate for 33 days. Weight gain was greatest in shrimp fed 15 mg supplemental Zn/kg diet. In the absence of dietary phytate, zinc concentrations in the hepatopancreas of shrimp were maximized when zinc was supplemented at levels greater than or equal to 15 mg Zn/kg diet (33 mg total Zn/ kg). Supplementation of 1.5% phytate to the diet did not have a significant effect on growth or zinc concentrations in the carapace; however, it did depress zinc levels in the hepatopancreas. Supplementation of 200 mg Zn/kg diet was required to overcome the depressed bioavailability of zinc caused by the presence of dietary phytate and return zinc levels of the hepatopancreas to that observed when phytate was not present. Based on apparent digestibility values phytate phosphorus was unavailable to the shrimp and the presence of phytate depressed the bioavailability of phosphorus and zinc.