Effects of dietary medium-chain triacylglycerols (tricaprylin and tricaproin) and phospholipid supply on survival, growth and lipid metabolism in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) larvae

The present study investigated the interaction of dietary medium-chain fatty acids (MCFA) and phospholipids (PL) on survival, growth and lipid metabolism in common carp larvae. Nine diets based on casein and dextrin and with a variable lipid part were tested in triplicate for 22 days post first feeding. The 3×3 design consisted of three triacylglycerols (3% of diet) combined with three different lipid supplements. Tested triacylglycerols were triolein (TOL), tricaprylin (TC8) and tricaproin (TC6), and lipid supplements were 2% soybean oil (low-fat diets without PL), 2% soybean lecithin (low-fat diets with 2% PL) or both 2% soybean lecithin and 6% TOL (high-fat diets with 2% PL).

In the first step, both TC6 and TC8 resulted in improved survival and growth rates compared to TOL, irrespective of the PL supply. In the second step, TC8 decreased survival and growth rates, whereas the difference between TC6 and TOL became less. Histological signs of impaired intestinal absorption of neutral lipids were evidenced in larvae fed TOL without PL and also in high-fat diets with 2% PL. The latter diets also resulted in poorer growth rates compared to low-fat diets with 2% PL. These results suggest that the quantitative PL requirement of larvae increases as the dietary level of long-chain triacylglycerols increases. Larvae fed TC6 or TC8 showed enlarged liver and hepatocyte volume and a decreased level of body neutral lipids. Based on β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HBA) measurements in whole larvae, TC8 was found to be more ketogenic than TC6. TC6 and TC8 affected differently the fatty acid profile of larval body neutral lipids. TC6 did not induce the appearance of MCFA, whereas TC8 feeding resulted in a low level of 8:0 and relatively high levels of 10:0 (3.8% of total fatty acids). Neither 8:0 nor 10:0 were found in larval polar lipids.

This study confirmed the essentiality of PL in common carp larval diets and underlines differences in the utilization of TC6 and TC8, which both initially stimulate growth during the first week, but only temporarily in the case of TC8.