ALBERT

Notes: The present study investigates the impact of replacing at least 50% of the fish oil in high-energy salmon diets with other types of oils. Triplicate groups of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) were fed six diets differing only in dietary lipid source for 12 months in sea water. The experimental oils were combinations of fish oil and one or two of the following oils: rapeseed, soybean, linseed, palm or poultry oil. Fish oil constituted 40%−50% of the oil mixtures. The fish grew from an average weight of 120 g to 2000 g during the 12 month trial. Except for minor differences in the lipid concentration of trimmed fillets, no significant effects of dietary lipid source were found on growth, survival, body traits or fillet quality. The main dietary effect was observed in the muscle fatty acid composition, which clearly reflected that of the diets. These results show that high-energy diets where 50%−60% of the fish oil is replaced by other lipid sources can produce similar results to diets containing 100% fish oil during the grow out phase of Atlantic salmon in sea. The importance of fillet fatty acid composition on processing and sensory characteristics requires further evaluations.

Notes: The present study investigated the short-term (5 months) effect of replacing dietary marine oils with vegetable oils on the development of arteriosclerotic changes in the heart of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar. The experiment was performed as a randomized observer-blinded and controlled trial. Farmed Atlantic salmon were randomly sampled from a study population containing 900 individuals. The salmon were divided into three groups and given diets with either 100% fish oil (Diet 1), a 50/50% mixture of fish oil and rapeseed oil (Diet 2) or 100% rapeseed oil (Diet 3). Ten sexually immature salmon from each dietary group were sampled in March and August 2002. Additionally, 47 sexually mature wild salmon were randomly collected in mid-September 2001. Serial histological sections were taken from the bulbus arteriosus and ventricle wall for histopathological evaluation of the coronary arteries and myocardium. No significant differences in mean coronary changes recorded by the main variable ‘mean range lesion’ (MRL) were detected between the groups in March or August. MRL increased significantly between March and August with Diet 2 (P 〈 0.01), was nearly significant with Diet 3 (P = 0.06) and was unchanged with Diet 1. This pattern coincided with the Diet 2 group having the highest increase in heart weight. MHC class II immunoreactive cells in the coronary changes were detected in sections from one individual in each group. Heart weight was the most dominant variable in the data set and explained linearly 15.5% of the variation in MRL. Body weight, fish length and heart weight were all significantly, positively and linearly correlated to MRL. The Diet 2 group had the highest growth rate and also exhibited a significant increase in MRL. The possible influence of diet composition on weight gain and MRL needs to be further elucidated. Increase in heart weight seems to be the dominating predictor of the appearance of MRL in Atlantic salmon. However, the present results cannot exclude the possibility that differences in fatty acid composition of fish feed can influence the development of arteriosclerotic changes in Atlantic salmon.

Notes: This study evaluated the effects of fish oil (FO) replacement by vegetable oils [soybean oil (SO), rapeseed oil (RO), linseed oil (LO)] and subsequent feeding with FO on the liver morphology of sea bream. A short-term trial (3 months) and long-term trial (6 months) were carried out feeding sea bream with the following experimental diets: FO100%; SO60% + FO40%; RO60% +FO40%; LO60% + FO40%; SO + RO +LO60% + FO40%. Finally, all groups from the long-term trial were fed with FO100% for 95 days (washout period). Liver samples were taken for histological and biochemical studies. In both the short- and long-term trials, livers of sea bream fed LO60% and SO + RO + LO60% showed a similar hepatic morphology to that observed in fish fed FO100%. In contrast, sea bream fed SO60% showed an intense steatosis, with foci of swollen hepatocytes containing numerous lipid vacuoles. After the washout period, a considerable reduction of the cytoplasmic vacuolation and the lipid vacuole accumulation were observed in the livers of fish fed the different experimental diets. The results of this study suggested that the type of non-essential fatty acid, characteristic of vegetable oils, induces the appearance of steatosis in the following order: linoleic acid 〉 linolenic acid 〉 oleic acid. However, the liver alterations found during the experimental periods with vegetable oils are reversible when the fish are re-fed with a balanced diet (FO100%), indicating the non-pathological character of these histological changes.

Notes: Due to its traditionally good availability, digestibility and high content of n − 3 HUFA, fish oil is the main lipid source in fish feeds. However, world demand for this product has grown significantly in recent years, whereas its production, based on fisheries landings, is static. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effect of partial replacement of fish oil in compound diets for gilthead seabream and seabass, by several vegetable oil sources, on growth, dietary fatty acid utilization and flesh quality. Five iso-energetic and isoproteic experimental diets were formulated (25% lipid content). Fish oil was the only added lipid source in the control (FO) diet, and it was included in the other experimental diets at a level high enough (40% of FO diet) to keep the n − 3 HUFA levels well over 3% in order to cover the essential fatty acid requirements of these species. Fish oil was replaced by soyabean oil (SO), rapeseed oil (RO) and linseed oil (LO) or a mixture (Mix) of them. Feed intake in all dietary groups was in the range of results obtained for commercial diets in both species, and growth and feed utilization were very good. The results show that, providing a minimum content of essential fatty acids in the diet, it is possible to replace up to 60% of the fish oil by SO, LO and RO or a mixture of them in diets for seabream and seabass, without compromising fish growth. Fatty acid composition of liver and muscle reflected that of the diet, but utilization of dietary lipids differed between these two tissues and was also different for the different fatty acids. Despite reduction in dietary saturated fatty acids by the inclusion of vegetable oils, their levels in fish liver were as high as in fish fed the fish oil diet, whereas, in muscle, levels were reduced according to that in the diet. Linoleic and linolenic acids were accumulated in the liver proportionally to their levels in the diet, suggesting a lower oxidation of these fatty acids in comparison to other 18C fatty acids. Regarding eicosapentaenoic acid (20 : 5n − 3; EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (22 : 6n − 3; DHA) and arachidonic acid (20 : 4n − 6; ARA), these essential fatty acids were reduced in the liver at a similar rate, whereas DHA was preferentially retained in the muscle in comparison with the other fatty acids, denoting a higher oxidation particularly of EPA, in the muscle. Some other PUFA increased despite their low dietary levels in seabream fed LO diets and in seabass fed SO diet, suggesting the stimulation of delta-6 and delta-5 desaturase activity in marine fish. Despite differences in fatty acid composition, fillet of fish fed vegetable oils was very well accepted by trained judges when assessed cooked.

Notes: Four dietary groups of juvenile Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., each with three replicates, were fed diets with increasing levels of docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n-3; DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3; EPA). Fatty acid composition of brain and eye was determined at the start and approximately every 3 weeks during the experimental period, and fatty acid composition of liver and fillet was determined in fish from the final sampling. Lipid class composition of brain and eye, and fatty acid composition of these lipid classes was determined at the end of the experiment. There was no effect of increasing dietary DHA content on fatty acid composition, lipid class composition or DHA levels in the lipid classes in the juvenile Atlantic salmon brain. The increasing dietary EPA content, however, was reflected in both the total fatty acid composition and in the EPA content in neutral lipids, phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) and phosphatidylinositol (PI). A minor effect of the increasing dietary DHA content was found in the lipid composition of the juvenile salmon eye. Both EPA and 18:2n-6 levels in eye, however, clearly reflected the increasing and decreasing, respectively, dietary levels of these two fatty acids. The dietary EPA levels also affected the EPA levels in neutral lipids, PC, PE, PI and PS (phosphatidylserine) in the juvenile salmon eye. The results demonstrate that these dietary levels of DHA had no effect on brain lipid composition and only a minor effect on eye lipid composition. Furthermore, the dietary EPA levels significantly affected the lipid composition of both brain and eye. The fillet fatty acid composition reflected the dietary fatty acid composition, except for the DHA/EPA ratio, which was reversed in fillet compared with that in the diets. The liver fatty acid composition was also affected by the increasing dietary EPA and DHA levels.