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.     

Dietary lipid level affects fatty acid composition and hydrolase activities of intestinal brush border membrane in seabass

Triplicate groups of juvenile seabass (initial weight of 241 g) were fed during 13 weeks three isonitrogenous experimental diets containing different lipid levels, 12% (LL group), 21% (ML group) and 30% (HL group). At the end of the experiment, fish weight gain was similar among the 3 dietary groups. Intestinal brush border membranes were purified for each dietary group; one part of the brush border fraction was dedicated to enzyme assays, the remaining fraction being used for lipid extraction followed by fatty acid analysis. The fatty acid composition of the brush border membrane differed among the 3 groups, although the 3 experimental diets had the same fatty acid composition. The increase in dietary lipid level resulted in a lowering in (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) paralleled with an increase in monounsaturated fatty acid. A significant reduction in the brush border enzyme activities, namely alkaline phosphatase, aminopeptidase N, -glutamyl transpeptidase and maltase, was also observed with the elevation of the dietary lipid level. The change in activity of intestinal digestive enzymes, which are membrane-bound proteins, could be attributed to the modification of fatty acid composition and fluidity of the brush border membranes (BBM). Such lowering in PUFA and increase in monounsaturated fatty acid in BBM, concomitant with a decline in membrane enzymatic activity, has been described as a malnutrition indicator in mammals. It raises the question of possible disorders of gut functions in fish fed increasing lipid levels.     

Nutritional history does not modulate hepatic oxidative status of European sea bass (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Dicentrarchus labrax</Emphasis>) submitted to handling stress

The aim of the present study was to assess the impact of an acute handling stress on hepatic oxidative status of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles fed diets differing in lipid so urce and carbohydrate content. For that purpose, four diets were formulated with fish oil (FO) and vegetable oils (VO) as lipid source and with 20 or 0% gelatinized starch as carbohydrate source. Triplicate groups of fish with 74 g were fed each diet during 13 weeks and then subjected to an acute handling stress. Stress exposure decreased hematocrit (Ht) and hemoglobin (Hb) levels. Independent of dietary treatment, stress exposure increased hepatic lipid peroxidation (LPO). Stressed fish exhibited lower glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, independent of previous nutritional history. In the VO groups, stress exposure increased glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity. Diet composition had no effect on Ht and Hb levels. In contrast, dietary carbohydrate decreased hepatic LPO and CAT activity and increased glutathione reductase (GR) and G6PD activities. Dietary lipids had no effect on LPO. Fish fed the VO diets exhibited higher G6PD activity than fish fed the FO diets. In conclusion, dietary carbohydrates contributed to the reduction of oxidative stress in fish. However, under the imposed handling stress conditions, liver enzymatic antioxidant mechanisms were not enhanced, which may explain the overall increased oxidative stress.     

Effect of Crude Palm Oil Incorporation on Growth,Survival, Feed Efficiency,and Body Composition of Heterobranchus longifilis Fingerlings

An 8-week feeding trial was carried out to determine the effect of increasing dietary palm oil levels on African catfish juvenile growth and nutrient utilization. Six isonitrogenous diets were formulated to contain 0.5% to 15% crude palm oil with dietary lipid levels ranging from 5% to 20%. Growth performance and protein utilization efficiency of African catfish responded in a positive manner to palm oil addition up to 9% (diet 14% lipid). No further improvement in growth was observed with higher levels of palm oil in the diets, and lower survival was observed with inclusion of 15% palm oil (diet 20% lipid). Whole-body lipid content increased when fish were fed with increasing levels of dietary lipid. Under our experimental conditions, the best growth rate and nutrient utilization were observed with the inclusion of 9% crude palm oil in the diets for African catfish.     

The partial substitution of digestible protein with gelatinized starch as an energy source reduces susceptibility to lipid oxidation in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) muscle

We evaluated the influence of dietary gelatinized starch and protein on the fatty acid composition of muscle in rainbow trout and European sea bass and on the susceptibility of flesh to lipid peroxidation. The possibility that flesh peroxidation could be accounted for by lipogenesis and the deposition of fat was also explored. The inclusion of gelatinized starch in the diet of rainbow trout improved growth with respect to that observed in fish fed crude starch (P<.001). This was especially noticeable at the lowest concentration of dietary protein tested (P = .037); suggesting that gelatinized starch may partially replace protein in the production of energy without inducing a negative effect on growth. However, in European sea bass, the gelatinization of starch and dietary protein concentration showed no significant effect on final body weight. The intramuscular neutral lipid concentration of the sea bass was reduced by the gelatinization of dietary starch (P = .034). The highest dietary protein concentration increased the proportion of saturated fatty acids in the neutral (P = .0742) and polar (P = .0033) lipid fractions. The dietary inclusion of high levels of protein in rainbow trout led to a lower concentration of total (n-3) (P = .0457) and (n-6) (P = .0522) fatty acids and a higher concentration of total monounsaturated fatty acids (P = .0006). The inclusion of gelatinized starch led to a lower concentration of (n-3) fatty acids (P = .0034) and a higher concentration of saturated fatty acids (P = .0007). The polar fraction was hardly affected by the same treatment. A significantly lower susceptibility of the dorsal muscle to oxidation was observed in groups of European sea bass fed gelatinized starch (P<.01). A similar trend was observed in rainbow trout, although differences were not significant. The findings suggest that the digestible protein concentration of nutrient-dense diets for rainbow trout and European sea bass can be reduced with a beneficial effect on tissue lipid oxidation and no negative effects on growth and muscle composition.     

Time of a single daily meal influences growth performance in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

The effect of the time of delivery of a single daily meal was studied in immature rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum). In a first experiment, fish were fed 1.5 % of their body weight once a day at dawn. 1200 h, dusk or 2400 h and no attempt was made to monitor uneaten food. The best growth performance was observed for fish fed at dawn, while lowest performance was achieved by fish fed at 2400 h. During a second experiment, fish were fed at dawn or 2400 h at 0.9%, 1.2 % or 1.5% of their body weight, and the proportion of uneaten pellets was measured. Fish fed at 2400h showed lower growth performance, and feed intake was 10% lower than that of fish fed at dawn. Protein, lipid and energy retention (nutrient gain/ nutrient intake) was also the lowest in fish fed at 2400 h. These results lead to the conclusion that, in rainbow trout, feeding time has an effect on both feed intake and feed utilization.     

Development of a broodstock diet to improve developmental competence of embryos in European eel,Anguilla anguilla

We examined the effect of dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on the production of embryos and hatched larvae in the European eel, Anguilla anguilla. Two diets with high and intermediate levels of ARA and low and intermediate levels of EPA (Feed 1: ARA 1.9%, EPA 4.2%; Feed 2: ARA 1.2%, EPA 5.1% of total fatty acids) were tested against a commercial diet (DE: ARA: 0.5%, EPA: 8.2% of total fatty acids). After 24 weeks of feeding, ARA levels in the muscles and ovaries increased to 0.9% and 1.3% of total fatty acids, respectively, in Feed 1 and were significantly higher than in Feed 2 and DE. Female broodstock was not fed during hormonal treatment to induce vitellogenesis and ovulation. EPA levels in females fed the test diets decreased in the both muscle and ovary and were significantly lower in eggs from females fed Feed 1. The highest percentage of stripped females, producing viable eggs and larvae, were those females fed the highest dietary ARA levels (Feed 1). The level of lipid peroxidation products in eggs was similar among treatment, indicating that the lowest dietary levels of vitamin C and vitamin E were sufficient. In the unfertilized eggs, ARA levels were also highest (1.1% of total fatty acids) in the diet with highest ARA levels (Feed 1).     

Molecular regulation of lipid metabolism in liver and muscle of rainbow trout subjected to acute and chronic insulin treatments

Although the metabolic actions of insulin in fish have been investigated widely in the past several years, lipid metabolism has received little attention, especially in tissues like the liver or white muscle. In the present study, rainbow trout received insulin treatments both acutely (intraperitoneal injection) and chronically (through mino-osmotic pumps) to elucidate hormone metabolic actions at molecular levels on the 2 main insulin target tissues in trout, namely, liver and muscle. Plasma and free fatty acid concentrations in plasma, as well as mRNA measurements of some key enzymes involved in lipid metabolism, were assessed in these tissues after 6 h and 4 d of acute and chronic insulin treatments, respectively. Our results showed that although fish received the same final total amount of hormone in both treatments, the actions of insulin on lipid metabolism were both time and tissue dependent. After the acute insulin treatment, the main anabolic role of insulin was reflected in decreased plasma free fatty acid concentrations linked to enhanced hepatic lipogenesis. We also found that insulin increased the mRNA levels of enzymes involved in lipid oxidation, perhaps to counteract insulin-induced hypoglycemia. In contrast, our data show that after chronic insulin treatment, liver and muscle exhibit different metabolic strategies: whereas in the liver chronic insulin-induced hypoglycemia may stimulate lipolytic processes to spare glucose stores, the muscle responds directly to the anabolic hormone action by increasing its lipogenic capacity and by inhibiting pathways of lipid oxidation.