Potential of Thraustochytrids to Partially Replace Fish Oil in Atlantic Salmon Feeds

The replacement of fish oil with a dried product made from thraustochytrid culture, a marine microorganism, in canola-oil-based diets for Atlantic salmon was investigated. Salmon (37 g) were fed for 51 days on diets containing only canola oil, canola oil and fish oil, or canola oil and the thraustochytrid. There were no significant differences in final weight (106.1 ± 1.1 g), weight gain (69.6 ± 1.1 g), feed consumption (16.5 ± 0.2 mg dry matter g^-1 d^-1), feed efficiency ratio (1.15 ± 0.03 g ^g-1), or productive protein value (51.2% ± 1.7%) between the diets. Nor were there any significant differences in whole-body chemical composition, organ somatic indices, or measures of immune function. However, following transfer to seawater and 2 challenges with Vibrio anguillarum, cumulative mortality was significantly lower in fish fed some fish oil than in those fed the 2 diets containing no fish oil. In conclusion, the thraustochytrid had no detrimental effects on the performance of salmon but, at the current inclusion of 10%, failed to confer the same effect as fish oil under challenging conditions.     

Influence of omega-3 Fatty Acid status on the way rats adapt to chronic restraint stress

Omega-3 fatty acids are important for several neuronal and cognitive functions. Altered omega-3 fatty acid status has been implicated in reduced resistance to stress and mood disorders. We therefore evaluated the effects of repeated restraint stress (6 h/day for 21 days) on adult rats fed omega-3 deficient, control or omega-3 enriched diets from conception. We measured body weight, plasma corticosterone and hippocampus glucocorticoid receptors and correlated these data with emotional and depression-like behaviour assessed by their open-field (OF) activity, anxiety in the elevated-plus maze (EPM), the sucrose preference test and the startle response. We also determined their plasma and brain membrane lipid profiles by gas chromatography. Repeated restraint stress caused rats fed a control diet to lose weight. Their plasma corticosterone increased and they showed moderate behavioural changes, with increases only in grooming (OF test) and entries into the open arms (EPM). Rats fed the omega-3 enriched diet had a lower stress-induced weight loss and plasma corticosterone peak, and reduced grooming. Rats chronically lacking omega-3 fatty acid exhibited an increased startle response, a stress-induced decrease in locomotor activity and exaggerated grooming. The brain omega-3 fatty acids increased as the dietary omega-3 fatty acids increased; diets containing preformed long-chain omega-3 fatty acid were better than diets containing the precursor alpha-linolenic acid. However, the restraint stress reduced the amounts of omega-3 incorporated. These data showed that the response to chronic restraint stress was modulated by the omega-3 fatty acid supply, a dietary deficiency was deleterious while enrichment protecting against stress.     

Long-Chain Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Have Developmental Effects on the Crop Pest,the Cabbage White Butterfly Pieris rapae

Nutritional enhancement of crops using genetic engineering can potentially affect herbivorous pests. Recently, oilseed crops have been genetically engineered to produce the long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) at levels similar to that found in fish oil; to provide a more sustainable source of these compounds than is currently available from wild fish capture. We examined some of the growth and development impacts of adding EPA and DHA to an artificial diet of Pieris rapae, a common pest of Brassicaceae plants. We replaced 1% canola oil with EPA: DHA (11:7 ratio) in larval diets, and examined morphological traits and growth of larvae and ensuing adults across 5 dietary treatments. Diets containing increasing amounts of EPA and DHA did not affect developmental phenology, larval or pupal weight, food consumption, nor larval mortality. However, the addition of EPA and DHA in larval diets resulted in progressively heavier adults (F _{4, 108} = 6.78; p = 0.011), with smaller wings (p < 0.05) and a higher frequency of wing deformities (R = 0.988; p = 0.001). We conclude that the presence of EPA and DHA in diets of larval P. rapae may alter adult mass and wing morphology; therefore, further research on the environmental impacts of EPA and DHA production on terrestrial biota is advisable.     

Dietary fat composition modifies the effect of boron on bone characteristics and plasma lipids in rats

Female and male rats weighing about 170 g and 200 g, respectively, were fed diets (approximately 70 microg boron/kg) in a factorial arrangement with supplemental boron at 0 (deficient) and 3 (adequate) mg/kg and canola oil or palm oil at 75 g/kg of diet as variables. After 5 weeks, six females in each treatment were bred. Dams and pups continued on their respective dietary treatments through gestation, lactation and post-weaning. Thirteen weeks after weaning, plasma and bones were collected from 12 male and 12 female offspring in each treatment. Boron supplementation increased femur strength measured by the breaking variable bending moment; tibial calcium and phosphorus concentrations; and plasma alkaline phosphatase. Femur breaking stress was greatest in boron-supplemented rats fed canola oil, and lowest in boron-deprived females fed canola oil; this group also exhibited the lowest femur bending moment. Minerals associated with bone organic matrix, zinc and potassium, were increased by boron supplementation in tibia. Plasma phospholipids were decreased by boron deprivation in females, but not males. Plasma cholesterol was decreased in boron-supplemented males by replacing canola oil with palm oil. The findings suggest that a diet high in omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid promotes femur strength best when the dietary boron is adequate.     

Effect of saturated, omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids on myocardial infarction

Dietary fatty acids have cholesterol lowering, antiatherogenic, and antiarrhythmic properties that decrease the risk of myocardial infarction (MI). This study was designed to study the effects of various oils rich in either polyunsaturated (omega-3 or omega-6) fatty acids (PUFA) or saturated fatty acids (SFA) on the severity of experimentally induced MI. Male albino Sprague-Dawley rats (100-150 g; n = 20) were fed diets enriched with fish oil (omega-3 PUFA), peanut oil (omega-6 PUFA), or coconut oil (SFA) for 60 days. Experimental MI was induced with isoproterenol. Mortality rates; serum enzymes aspartate amino transferase; alanine amino transferase; creatine phosphokinase (CPK); lipid profiles in serum, myocardium, and aorta; peroxide levels in heart and aorta; activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase; and levels of glutathione were measured. The results demonstrated that mortality rate, CPK levels, myocardial lipid peroxides, and glutathione levels were decreased in the omega-3 PUFA treated group. Maximum increase in parameters indicative of myocardial damage was seen in the coconut oil group. These findings suggest that dietary omega-3 PUFA offers maximum protection in experimentally induced MI in comparison to omega-6 PUFA and SFA enriched diets. SFA was found to have the least protective effect.     

The effects of dietary (n-3) fatty acid supplementation on lipid dynamics and composition in rat lymphocytes and liver microsomes

Rats were fed diets devoid of (n-3) fatty acids (olive oil supplementation) or high in (n-3) fatty acids (fish oil supplementation) for a period of 10 days. In spleen lymphocytes and liver microsomes derived from animals fed fish oil diets, relatively high levels of (n-3) eicosapentaenoic (20:5), docosapentaenoic (22:5) and docosahexaenoic acids (22:6) were obtained compared to minimal levels when fed the olive oil diet. When the average lipid motional properties were examined by measuring the fluorescence anisotropy of diphenylhexatriene, no significant different was found between intact liver microsomes from animals fed the two diets. However, when lipid motion was examined in vesicles of phosphatidylcholine, isolated from the microsomes from fish oil fed animals (21.4% (n-3) fatty acids), the fluorescence anisotropy was significantly less than the corresponding phosphatidylcholine from olive oil fed animals (5.6% (n-3) fatty acids), indicating a more disordered or fluid bilayer in the presence of higher levels of (n-3) fatty acids. Phosphatidylethanolamine (n-3) fatty acids were also elevated after fish oil supplementation (41.3% of total fatty acids), compared to the level after olive oil supplementation (21.4%). The major effect of the fish oil supplementation was a replacement of (n-6) arachidonic acid by the (n-3) fatty acids and when this was 'modeled', using liposomes of synthetic lipids, 1-palmitoyl-2-arachidonyl(n-6) or docosahexaenoyl(n-3)-phosphatidylcholine, significant differences in lipid motional properties were found, with the docosahexaenoate conferring a more disordered or fluid lipid environment. Thus it appears that although lipid order/fluidity can be significantly decreased by increases in the highly unsaturated (n-3) fatty acid levels, alterations in membrane domain organization and/or phospholipid molecular species composition effectively compensated for the changes, at least as far as average lipid motional properties in the intact membranes was concerned.     

Omega-3 fatty acids and neuropsychiatric disorders

Epidemiological evidence suggests that dietary consumption of the long chain omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), commonly found in fish or fish oil, may modify the risk for certain neuropsychiatric disorders. As evidence, decreased blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids have been associated with several neuropsychiatric conditions, including Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder, Alzheimer's Disease, Schizophrenia and Depression. Supplementation studies, using individual or combination omega-3 fatty acids, suggest the possibility for decreased symptoms associated with some of these conditions. Thus far, however, the benefits of supplementation, in terms of decreasing disease risk and/or aiding in symptom management, are not clear and more research is needed. The reasons for blood fatty acid alterations in these disorders are not known, nor are the potential mechanisms by which omega-3 fatty acids may function in normal neuronal activity and neuropsychiatric disease prevention and/or treatment. It is clear, however, that DHA is the predominant n-3 fatty acid found in the brain and that EPA plays an important role as an anti-inflammatory precursor. Both DHA and EPA can be linked with many aspects of neural function, including neurotransmission, membrane fluidity, ion channel and enzyme regulation and gene expression. This review summarizes the knowledge in terms of dietary omega-3 fatty acid intake and metabolism, as well as evidence pointing to potential mechanisms of omega-3 fatty acids in normal brain functioning, development of neuropsychiatric disorders and efficacy of omega-3 fatty acid supplementation in terms of symptom management.     

Fish oil diets alter the phospholipid balance, fatty acid composition, and steroid hormone concentrations in testes of adult pigs

The objective was to determine the effect of long-term dietary supplementation of two types of fish oil on lipid composition and steroidogenesis in adult pig testis. Twenty-four Duroc boars, aged 204.5 ± 9.4 d (body weight 128.1 ± 16.7 kg) received daily 2.5 kg of an iso-caloric basal diet supplemented with: 1) 62 g of hydrogenated animal fat (AF); 2) 60 g of menhaden oil (MO) containing 16% of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 18% of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA); or 3) 60 g of tuna oil (TO) containing 7% of EPA and 33% of DHA. After these diets were consumed for 7 mo, testicular hormones, phospholipid content, and fatty acid composition of individual phospholipids in testis were determined. Body and reproductive organ weights were not significantly affected by dietary treatments. Testicular tissue from boars fed a TO diet, followed by those receiving MO and AF diets, had the lowest level of phosphatidylethanolamine (TO < MO < AF; P < 0.01) but the highest sphingomyelin (TO > MO > AF; P < 0.01). For each phospholipid, boars fed either the MO or TO diet had increased total omega-3 fatty acids, particularly DHA (P < 0.01), by reciprocal replacement of total omega-6 fatty acids (20:4n-6, 22:5n-6). The MO diet increased EPA more than the other diets. Testicular concentrations of testosterone and estradiol were lower in boars fed a TO diet than a MO diet (P < 0.02). In conclusion, long-term dietary supplementation of fish oil, regardless of the EPA/DHA ratio, modified the fatty acid compositions in testis and affected steroid production of healthy adult boars, which may represent a promising models for future studies on fertility.     

Effect of fish oil supplementation on plasma oxidant/antioxidant status in rats

The aim of this study was to investigate effect of dietary omega-3 fatty acid supplementation on the indices of in vivo lipid peroxidation and oxidant/antioxidant status of plasma in rats. The plasma thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and nitric oxide (NO) levels, and activities of xanthine oxidase (XO), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) were studied in male Wistar Albino rats after ingestion of 0.4 g/kg fish oil (rich in omega-3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid) for 30 days and compared to untreated control rats. The rats in the treated group had significantly higher SOD activity (P < 0.001), NO levels (P < 0.01) and decreased TBARS levels (P < 0.05) with respect to controls whereas GSH-Px and XO activities were not significantly different between the groups. None of the measured parameters had significant correlation with each other in both groups. We conclude that dietary supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids may enhance resistance to free radical attack and reduce lipid peroxidation. These results support the notion that omega-3 fatty acids may be effective dietary supplements in the management of various diseases in which oxidant/antioxidant defence mechanisms are decelerated.     

Omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils and cardiovascular disease

Fish and fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids known as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Epidemiological studies have shown an inverse relation between the dietary consumption of fish containing EPA/DHA and mortality from coronary heart disease. These relationships have been substantiated from blood measures of omega-3 fatty acids including DHA as a physiological biomarker for omega-3 fatty acid status. Controlled intervention trials with fish oil supplements enriched in EPA/DHA have shown their potential to reduce mortality in post-myocardial infarction patients with a substantial reduction in the risk of sudden cardiac death. The cardioprotective effects of EPA/DHA are widespread, appear to act independently of blood cholesterol reduction, and are mediated by diverse mechanisms. Their overall effects include anti-arrhythmic, blood triglyceride-lowering, anti-thrombotic, anti-inflammatory, endothelial relaxation, plus others. Current dietary intakes of EPA/DHA in North America and elsewhere are well below those recommended by the American Heart Association for the management of patients with coronary heart disease. (Mol Cell Biochem 263: 217–225, 2004)     

双低菜粕高水平替代饲料鱼粉对大黄鱼潜在风险的评估:生长、健康和营养价值

研究从生长、健康和营养价值方面评估了高水平的双低菜粕替代饲料鱼粉对大黄鱼潜在的危害。在鱼粉含量60%的基础饲料（FM）上按照质量分数用双低菜粕分别替代15%（CM15）、30%（CM30）、60%（CM60）和100%（CM100）的鱼粉,配制成5种实验饲料。每种饲料投喂5个网箱的大黄鱼[初重（135.38±1.02）g],即每个处理5个重复,进行12周的养殖实验。结果表明,当双低菜粕替代水平在15%和30%时,大黄鱼的生长及饲料系数并没有受到显著性的影响。然而,当替代水平高于30%时,大黄鱼的末重和特定生长率均显著降低,而饲料系数显著升高（P < 0.05）。当替代水平达到100%时,大黄鱼摄食率达到最高值而肥满度达到最低值（P < 0.05）。在组织形态方面,大黄鱼摄食双低菜粕替代的饲料后肠道绒毛的弯曲程度减少并且排列更加不规则,而肝细胞则呈现出圆形空泡状并伴随着细胞核的偏移。对大黄鱼骨骼进行X-射线扫描发现,摄食双低菜粕的大黄鱼椎体和头部出现了畸形。在营养价值方面,双低菜粕替代鱼粉并未显著影响大黄鱼背肌的脂肪含量、蛋白含量和氨基酸组成,然而脂肪酸组成受到了显著影响,即N-6系列脂肪酸含量显著升高,而DHA与EPA含量显著降低（P < 0.05）。根据欧洲食品安全局（EFSA）的相关标准,这些营养价值的变化并没有影响大黄鱼作为健康食品的功能。由此可见,高水平（60%和100%）的双低菜粕替代鱼粉对大黄鱼的负面影响主要表现为降低大黄鱼的生长性能、改变肠道和肝脏组织形态,以及影响大黄鱼的骨骼健康。然而,双低菜粕替代鱼粉养殖大黄鱼的肌肉仍然符合人类的膳食要求。因此,双低菜粕替代鱼粉并没有影响大黄鱼作为食用鱼的营养价值。     

A maternal high n-6 fat diet with fish oil supplementation during pregnancy and lactation in rats decreases breast cancer risk in the female offspring

The timing of dietary fat intake may modify breast cancer risk. In addition, n-3 fatty acids reduce, and n-6 fatty acids increase, the risk of breast cancer and a maternal high n-6 fat diet results in a greater risk of breast cancer in the female offspring. We hypothesized that the timing of n-3 fatty acid-enriched fish oil supplementation would be important for reducing the risk of breast cancer. Female rats were fed to a high n-6 fat diet containing 20% of the sunflower oil by weight during pregnancy and lactation, and the female offspring were exposed to fish oil by oral gavage either during the perinatal period via maternal intake or during puberty or adulthood. Exposure during the perinatal period to a maternal high n-6 fat diet with fish oil supplementation significantly reduced the incidence of carcinogen-induced mammary tumors in the female offspring compared to a maternal high n-6 fat diet with no fish oil supplementation or fish oil supplementation later in life (P=.0228 by Cox proportional hazards model). We found that a maternal high n-6 fat diet during pregnancy is more important in increasing the risk of mammary tumors in the female offspring than a maternal high n-6 fat diet during lactation. This study suggests that fish oil supplementation during the perinatal period decreases the effect of a maternal high n-6 fat diet on subsequent carcinogen-induced mammary tumor risk, whereas fish oil supplementation during puberty or adulthood does not.     

Effect of randomized supplementation with high dose olive, flax or fish oil on serum phospholipid fatty acid levels in adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids has been positively correlated with cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric health in several studies. The high seafood intake by the Japanese and Greenland Inuit has resulted in low ratios of the omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6) to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3), with the Japanese showing AA:EPA ratios of approximately 1.7 and the Greenland Eskimos showing ratios of approximately 0.14. It was the objective of this study to determine the effect of supplementation with high doses (60 g) of flax and fish oils on the blood phospholipid (PL) fatty acid status, and AA/EPA ratio of individuals with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), commonly associated with decreased blood omega-3 fatty acid levels. Thirty adults with ADHD were randomized to 12 weeks of supplementation with olive oil (< 1% omega-3 fatty acids), flax oil (source of alpha-linolenic acid; 18:3n-3; alpha-LNA) or fish oil (source of EPA and docosahexaenoic acid; 22:6n-3; DHA). Serum PL fatty acid levels were determined at baseline and at 12 weeks. Flax oil supplementation resulted in an increase in alpha-LNA and a slight decrease in the ratio of AA/EPA, while fish oil supplementation resulted in increases in EPA, DHA and total omega-3 fatty acids and a decrease in the AA/EPA ratio to values seen in the Japanese population. These data suggest that in order to increase levels of EPA and DHA in adults with ADHD, and decrease the AA/EPA ratio to levels seen in high fish consuming populations, high dose fish oil may be preferable to high dose flax oil. Future study is warranted to determine whether correction of low levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids is of therapeutic benefit in this population.     

Effects of dietary fatty acids on the respiratory and cardiovascular physiology of fish

In animals, the composition of fatty acids (FAs) in body pools reflects dietary intake. This paper reviews evidence that the manipulation of tissue lipids of farmed fish, by feeding them different natural oils, can have significant effects on their respiratory and cardiovascular physiology. Sturgeon and eels with tissue lipids rich in highly unsaturated FAs of the n-3 series (n-3HUFAs, accumulated from dietary menhaden oil) had significantly lower metabolic rates than fish with tissues rich in saturated FAs (SFAs, from coconut oil), although they grew equally well. In sturgeon, the difference in metabolism influenced tolerance of hypoxia. Degrees of hypoxia that depressed oxygen uptake and spontaneous activity in fish rich in SFAs had no such effects on fish rich in n-3HUFAs. In the isolated sturgeon heart working in vitro, reduced oxygen supply depressed the performance of hearts with lipids rich in SFAs but not that of hearts rich in n-3HUFAs. In salmon fed diets with graded mixtures of menhaden and canola oils, there was no relationship between tissue n-3HUFA content (from menhaden oil) and any measured aspect of swimming performance, but a linear relationship between maximum sustainable swimming speed and muscle oleic acid levels (from canola oil). Such exploratory studies indicate that an animal's responses to its environment may be profoundly affected by the oils and FAs it consumes in its diet.     

Modulation of enzymatic activities by n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids to support cardiovascular health

Epidemiological evidence from Greenland Eskimos and Japanese fishing villages suggests that eating fish oil and marine animals can prevent coronary heart disease. Dietary studies from various laboratories have similarly indicated that regular fish oil intake affects several humoral and cellular factors involved in atherogenesis and may prevent atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, thrombosis, cardiac hypertrophy and sudden cardiac death. The beneficial effects of fish oil are attributed to their n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA; also known as omega-3 fatty acids) content, particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; 20:5, n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6, n-3). Dietary supplementation of DHA and EPA influences the fatty acid composition of plasma phospholipids that, in turn, may affect cardiac cell functions in vivo. Recent studies have demonstrated that long-chain omega-3 fatty acids may exert beneficial effects by affecting a wide variety of cellular signaling mechanisms. Pathways involved in calcium homeostasis in the heart may be of particular importance. L-type calcium channels, the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger and mobilization of calcium from intracellular stores are the most obvious key signaling pathways affecting the cardiovascular system; however, recent studies now suggest that other signaling pathways involving activation of phospholipases, synthesis of eicosanoids, regulation of receptor-associated enzymes and protein kinases also play very important roles in mediating n-3 PUFA effects on cardiovascular health. This review is therefore focused on the molecular targets and signaling pathways that are regulated by n-3 PUFAs in relation to their cardioprotective effects.     

Dietary fish oil replacement with canola oil up-regulates glutathione peroxidase 1 gene expression in yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi)

The marine carnivore yellowtail kingfish (YTK, Seriola lalandi) was fed diets containing 5% residual fish oil (from the dietary fish meal) plus either 20% fish oil (FO), 20% canola oil (CO), 20% poultry oil (PO), 10% fish oil plus 10% canola oil (FO/CO) or 10% fish oil plus 10% poultry oil (FO/PO) and the effects on fish growth and hepatic expression of two glutathione peroxidase (GPx 1 and GPx 4) and two peroxiredoxin (Prx 1 and Prx 4) antioxidant genes were investigated. Partial (50%) replacement of the added dietary fish oil with poultry oil significantly improved fish growth whereas 100% replacement with canola oil significantly depressed fish growth. The fatty acid profiles of the fish fillets generally reflected those of the dietary oils except that there was apparent selective utilization of palmitic acid (16:0) and oleic acid (18:1n-9) and apparent selective retention of eicospentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3). The Prx 1 and 4 genes were expressed at 10- and 100-fold the level of the GPx 4 and 1 genes, respectively, and at one-tenth the level of the highly expressed β-actin reference gene. Dietary fish oil replacement with canola oil significantly up-regulated GPx 1 gene expression and there was a non-significant tendency towards down-regulation of Prx 1 and Prx 4. The results are discussed in terms of the effects of fish oil replacement on the peroxidation index of the diets and the resulting effects on the target antioxidant enzymes.     

Dietary lipid sources affect cold tolerance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of dietary lipid sources on growth performance, fatty acids composition and cold tolerance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings (7.00 ± 0.50 g/fish). The fish were fed four isonitrogenous (28% crude protein), isocaloric (500 kcal/100 g) diets containing four lipid sources; fish oil (FO), corn oil (CO), coconut oil (COCO) or fish oil/ corn oil mixture (1:1 ratio) (oil mix). The diets were offered to the fish at a daily rate of 3% of their body weights (BW), twice a day for two months. After the feeding trial, the fish were exposed to decreasing water temperature from 25 °C until the appearance of death symptoms. The results revealed that FO-based diets (FO and oil mix) produced the best growth rates and feed efficiency, followed by corn oil diet, while COCO resulted in the lowest performance. Fish fed on CO and oil mix showed higher body unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and lower lethal temperature than those fed on FO- or COCO-based diets. These results indicate that cold shock can modify the lipid metabolism in Nile tilapia by lowering total body saturated fatty acids and raising n-6 and n-3 UFA. This finding suggests that the inclusion of high levels of plant oils in Nile tilapia feeds can enhance their cold tolerance.     

美洲鳗鲡幼鱼饲料中鱼油的适宜添加水平研究

为研究饲料中鱼油添加水平对美洲鳗鲡(Anguilla rostrata)幼鱼生长性能、消化酶、体成分及肝脏脂肪代谢的影响, 以确定美洲鳗鲡幼鱼饲料中鱼油的适宜添加水平, 选用初始体重(8.34±0.12) g的美洲鳗鲡幼鱼800尾, 随机分成5组, 每组4个重复, 每个重复40尾; 分别投喂添加0(对照组)、3%(FO3组)、6%(FO6组)、9%(FO9组)和12%(FO12组)鱼油的试验饲料, 试验期56d。结果表明, 饲料中添加鱼油显著影响美洲鳗鲡幼鱼生长性能, FO6组美洲鳗鲡幼鱼的增重率、投饵率和饲料效率显著高于其他处理组(P<0.05)。与对照组相比, 鱼油添加组美洲鳗鲡幼鱼肠道脂肪酶活性显著提高(P<0.05), 蛋白酶和淀粉酶活性显著降低(P<0.05); FO6组、FO9组和FO12组全鱼粗脂肪含量显著提高(P<0.05), 全鱼粗蛋白质含量在FO12组显著降低(P<0.05), 全鱼水分和灰分含量无显著变化(P>0.05); FO9组和FO12组脂肪酸合成酶活性显著降低(P<0.05), FO12组脂蛋白酯酶和肝脂酶活性显著升高(P<0.05)。综上, 饲料中添加适宜鱼油水平可以提高美洲鳗鲡幼鱼的生长性能, 调节肠道脂肪酶活性、全鱼粗脂肪含量和肝脏脂肪代谢酶水平或活性; 美洲鳗鲡幼鱼获得最佳增重率和饲料效率时, 饲料中鱼油添加水平推荐为6.43%—6.78%。