ALBERT

Notes: Wild Atlantic mackerel, Scomber scombrus L., aged 1 and 2 years, which overwintered in sea cages from October to June at temperatures above 5 °C had high rates of survival and adapted to feed on commercial 4-mm food pellets. Growth and food intake was related to temperature and the specific growth rate (w) approached zero at around 7 °C. In contrast to the natural cycle, there were only small reductions in weight and fat content from January to May. No consistent influence of a 24-h photoperiod was found on growth and maturation. Independent of the temporal food distribution, the mackerel exhibited high plasticity in growth and fat deposition in a starvation/re-feeding trial.

Notes: Diets with increasing levels of potato and maize starch were fed to duplicate groups of maturing cod, Gadus morhuaL., from June 1991 to January 1992.The level of starch in the diet did not influence feed conversion factors, broodfish growth or gonadal development. Low levels of fillet glycogen were measured at all samplings, without variations according to dietary starch, or to developmental stage of the brood fish. During the reproductive phase no decreases were measured in relative liver size or liver protein, lipid or glycogen, indicating no net use of stored energy from the liver to build up gonads as long as the fish was offered feed. The variations in dietary starch vs. protein did not alter the composition of gonad dry matter, protein, lipid or glycogen levels. However, dry matter and protein levels increased during maturation in all groups.Plasma glucose levels were within normal ranges in all dietary groups at all sampling times, indicating no negative effects of high levels of dietary starch in brood fish, as also confirmed by stable and normal haematocrit, red blood cell count, and mean cell volume in blood. Haemoglobin, mean cell haematocrit and mean cell haemoglobin concentration decreased during the reproductive phase. Serum haemolytic complement activity did not vary between dietary treatments. Glycogen, dry matter, protein and lipid levels in eggs did not vary between dietary treatments of brood fish. Very low levels of glycogen were measured, suggesting that this energy reserve was of minor importance. Dry matter and lipid levels were quite stable in relation to egg developmental stage: protein levels decreased from day 0 until hatching.

Notes: A 56-day growth trial was conducted to study the utilization of hydrolysed potato starch by juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. using a restricted feeding regime. Two diets supplemented with either 15% or 30% hydrolysed potato starch and a control diet without carbohydrate supplementation were each fed to triplicate groups of salmon. Feeding rate varied from 1.4% to 2.0% of body weight per day, so that fish were fed similar amounts of protein and lipid. In spite of the restricted feeding used, no growth stimulation was measured as a consequence of the additional starch intake. No variation was found in protein utilization, measured as protein efficiency ratio values (PER), while feed utilization showed decreased values as starch intake increased. Plasma glucose concentrations did not vary as a consequence of increased starch intake when measured 24 h after feeding, indicating efficient regulation of plasma glucose. In fish fed the 30% starch, the plasma triacylglycerol concentration was significantly increased, which may point to de novo lipid synthesis from the high starch intake. No variation was found in plasma cholesterol or protein concentrations, or asparagine aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and lactate dehydrogenase activities. This shows that the fish health status and liver function were normal (no mortality was registered). Liver and muscle showed increased glycogen levels as a function of increased starch intake. The same diets were also fed to juvenile white sturgeon Acipencer transmontanus and hybrid tilapia Oreochromis niloticus×O. aureus. These results are presented separately.

Notes: Five groups of Altantic salmon, Salmo salar L., (80 g postsmolt) were fed moist diets containing increasing levels of starch from 0% to 31% and concomitant decreasing levels of protein. The results showed that feeding a diet containing 22% lipid with no starch or a starch inclusion higher than 22% exerts negative effects on growth and feed utilization. A starch inclusion above 9% resulted in decreased starch digestibility, while protein digestibility was not influenced by the dietary starch content. Undigested starch is suggested to affect lipid digestibility in the same manner as dietary fibre.The reduced digestibility by high levels of dietary starch led to increased loss of particulate matter to the environment. Taking into account feed utilization and environmental aspects, the present experiment suggests that a diet containing approximately 9% starch is optimal.

Notes: After adapting Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus (L.), to three different levels of available dietary carbohydrate (22, 47 and 82 g kg-1), the uptake of intraperitoneally injected glucose, both labelled and unlabelled, by the liver, white muscle, plasma, gills, heart, kidney and gastrointestinal wall, as well as concentrations of glucose in plasma and glycogen in organs, were studied. Even 16 h after glucose injection, halibut showed hyperglycaemia. The response, however, was moderate when adapted to the two higher than to the lowest starch diet, indicating some adaptative capacity. A negative correlation was found between plasma glucose and liver glycogen concentrations, hepatosomatic index and liver weight. The amount of glucose restored, relative to the amount injected, demonstrated that adaptation to dietary starch had significant effects on liver glycogen levels, with the highest incorporation of labelled glucose being observed in halibut adapted to the lowest dietary starch level. The amount of labelled glucose restored was highest in liver, followed by muscle 〉 gastrointestinal wall 〉 plasma 〉 gills 〉 kidney and heart, when evaluating the amount in the total organ. An indication of which organ was the most metabolically active in glucose utilization was found by expressing the results on a concentration basis, and it decreased in order, heart 〉 gills 〉 intestinal wall 〉 kidney and muscle.

Notes: Abstract. The influence of dietary carbohydrate (CHO) on blood chemistry, immunity and disease resistance was studied in two experiments with Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. Moist diets with increasing amounts of digestible CHO ranging from 0 to 30% (dry weight) were used. In the first experiment with adult (0.5 kg) fish, blood haemoglobin concentration was negatively correlated with increasing dietary CHO level, while serum glucose and protein did not differ between the groups. Serum cortisol increased linearly in fish fed from 5 to 30% CHO. Serum haemolytic activity was negatively correlated with dietary levels of CHO. Humoral immune responses elicited after vaccination by intraperitoneal injection or by dip immersion with Vibrio salmonicida showed no differences according to diet 10 and 17 weeks post-vaccination. Mortality after challenge with live Aeromonas salmonicida by intraperitoneal injection was lowest in fish fed 10% CHO. In the second experiment with juvenile Atlantic salmon (3g), there were minor differences in body and organ weights. Plasma glucose, protein and cholesterol were elevated in fish fed the highest CHO levels. Fish exposed to immersion challenge with different water concentrations of Vibrio anguillarum showed no statistical differences in mortality. The studies indicate that varying dietary levels of CHO affected immunity and resistance to bacterial infections to a minor extent in Atlantic salmon at low water temperatures during freshwater and seawater stages.

Notes: This study was conducted to investigate the long-term effects of feeding plant products from both traditional breeding and from biotechnology on intestinal somatic indices, histology and cell proliferation in first-feeding Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L. (initial weight 0.21 ± 0.02 g). A standard fishmeal diet (standard fishmeal) was formulated to contain fishmeal as the sole protein source and suprex maize as the main starch source. Six experimental diets were then developed: two in which some of the fishmeal was replaced with commercially available, genetically modified Roundup Ready® full-fat soybean meal (GM-soy) or commercially available, non-GM full-fat soybean meal (nGM-soy) at a level of 12.5% of the total diet, and four diets in which the suprex maize was replaced with two lines of GM-maize (Dekalb 1; D1 and Pioneer 1; P1), both products of event MON810, and their half-sibling non-GM counterparts (Dekalb 2; D2 and Pioneer 2; P2), at a level of 12.1% of total diet. Each diet was fed to fish in triplicate tanks and the experiment lasted for 8 months, during which the fish reached a final weight of 101–116 g. There was no significant effect of diet on the intestinal indices, nor were histological changes observed in the pyloric caeca or mid intestine. In the distal intestine, one of nine sampled fish fed nGM-soy showed moderate changes, two of nine sampled fish fed GM-soy showed changes, one with moderate and one with severe changes, and two of nine fish fed nGM-maize D2 had moderate changes. Using a monoclonal antibody against proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cell proliferative responses to the experimental diets were assessed. In fish fed both soy diets, a significantly higher (P 〈 0.05) cell proliferation response was observed in the distal intestine concomitant with an increased localization of PCNA positive cells along the whole distal intestinal folds. The PCNA response among the nGM-soy group was significantly higher compared with all the other diet groups. In contrast, for fish exposed to dietary maize (type D) compared with fish fed the standard fishmeal, the soy-diets (GM-soy and nGM-soy) and maize (type P), a significantly lower (P 〈 0.05) cell proliferation response was observed in the distal intestine. Results indicated that the GM plant products investigated in this study, at about 12% inclusion level, were as safe as commercially available non-GM products, at least in terms of their effect on indices and histological parameters of the Atlantic salmon intestinal tract.

Notes: To determine seasonal variation in growth and feed conversion ratio (FCR), Atlantic salmon postsmolts (Salmo salar L.) were exposed to either simulated natural photoperiod (SNP) for 12 months or continuous light (LL) from January to June followed by SNP until December. Feed was given to excess and uneaten feed pellets were collected after every meal for estimation of feed intake and calculation of FCR. Body weight increased from 1086 ± 9 g (mean ± SEM) in January to 4970 ± 7 g (SNP) and 5190 ± 23 g (LL) in December. Specific growth rate (SGR), condition factor and feed intake displayed strong seasonal variation in both groups. Measurements of the thermal growth coefficient correlated highly with SGR (r = 0.98, P 〈 0.05), indicating that the seasonal variation in SGR was independent of temperature and fish size. Continuous light treatment resulted in increased growth from spring, while the fish exposed to simulated natural light had increased growth rate in late summer. Furthermore, LL improved FCR. Periods of high SGR were concurrent with periods of low FCR in both groups.

Notes: Accumulation of 14C in various tissues and organs was studied in three different groups of 0.8-kg Atlantic salmon Salmo salar force-fed with 14C1-glucose in order to evaluate if metabolism of glucose depended on adaptation to dietary carbohydrate level. The salmon had been fed diets supplemented with 0, 100 and 200 g maize dextrin kg−1 for 10 months before the experiment. The fish were force-fed 6.65 × 104 Bq of 14C1 glucose kg−1 BW, in gelatin capsules. Fish for analysis were obtained 16 h later. 14C was measured in blood plasma, gill, kidney, liver and white muscle, and in lipid extract of liver.The liver contained most 14C, followed by heart, blood plasma, gill and liver lipid extract, while kidney and muscle contained the least 14C per gram or millilitre tissue. The muscle contained most radioactivity, on an estimated total tissue basis, followed by liver, blood plasma, gill, liver lipid extract, kidney and heart tissue. Thirty-eight per cent of the orally administered 14C was recovered in the salmon adapted to the diet without dextrin after 16 h. This was significantly (P 〈 0.05) higher than the 30% and 32% recovered in the salmon adapted to diets with 10% and 20% dextrin. This effect on adaptation to dietary dextrin level in glucose uptake or metabolism was supported by a trend (P 〈 0.10) toward higher radioactivity per gram or millilitre of each individual tissue in the fish adapted to the diet without dextrin, when compared with the other two adaptation regimes.

Notes: Eighty turbot, Scophthalmus maximus (L.), (average weight 61 g) were injected intraperitoneally with exactly 1 g glucose per kg body weight. There was a peak in plasma glucose 3 h post injection. Thereafter a gradual decrease to basal levels was seen within 24 h. Plasma triacylglycerol concentrations showed a rapid decline during the first 24 h, and thereafter stable values. Blood haematocrit values decreased from 20% before injection to 16% 72 h after injection. Liver glycogen concentrations showed an initial decrease from 8 to 5 g 100 g−1 (w.w) during the first 12 h, and thereafter stable values, while muscle glycogen concentrations increased during the first 12 h, and thereafter showed a gradual decline until 72 h. This response was most probably caused by secondary changes upon handling in combination with the direct response to a glucose load. Thus turbot was able to restore alterations in carbohydrate metabolism efficiently within 24 h.