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Uncoupling EPA and DHA in Fish Nutrition: Dietary Demand is Limited in Atlantic Salmon and Effectively Met by DHA Alone

  • Original Article
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Lipids

Abstract

Due to the scarcity of marine fish oil resources, the aquaculture industry is developing more efficient strategies for the utilization of dietary omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA). A better understanding of how fish utilize EPA and DHA, typically provided by fish oil, is needed. However, EPA and DHA have different physiological functions, may be metabolized and incorporated into tissues differently, and may vary in terms of their importance in meeting the fatty acid requirements of fish. To address these questions, Atlantic salmon were fed experimental diets containing, as the sole added dietary lipid source, fish oil (positive control), tallow (negative control), or tallow supplemented with EPA, DHA, or both fatty acids to ~50 or 100 % of their respective levels in the positive control diet. Following 14 weeks of feeding, the negative control diet yielded optimum growth performance. Though surprising, these results support the notion that Atlantic salmon requirements for n-3 LC-PUFA are quite low. EPA was largely β-oxidized and inefficiently deposited in tissues, and increasing dietary levels were associated with potential negative effects on growth. Conversely, DHA was completely spared from catabolism and very efficiently deposited into flesh. EPA bioconversion to DHA was largely influenced by substrate availability, with the presence of preformed DHA having little inhibitory effect. These results clearly indicate EPA and DHA are metabolized differently by Atlantic salmon, and suggest that the n-3 LC-PUFA dietary requirements of Atlantic salmon may be lower than reported and different, if originating primarily from EPA or DHA.

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Abbreviations

ALA:

Alpha-linolenic acid

DHA:

Docosahexaenoic acid

DHA-100:

Experimental dietary treatment containing 100 % of DHA present in PC

DHA-50:

Experimental dietary treatment containing 50 % of DHA present in PC

DP %:

Dress-out percentage

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid

EPA + DHA-100:

Experimental dietary treatment containing 100 % of EPA and DHA present in PC

EPA + DHA-50:

Experimental dietary treatment containing 50 % of EPA and DHA present in PC

EPA-100:

Experimental dietary treatment containing 100 % of EPA present in PC

EPA-50:

Experimental dietary treatment containing 50 % of EPA present in PC

FA:

Fatty acid(s)

FCR:

Food conversion ratio

FO:

Fish oil

FY %:

Fillet yield percentage

HSI %:

Hepatosomatic index

K:

Condition factor

MUFA:

Monounsaturated fatty acid(s)

n-3 LC-PUFA:

Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid(s)

NC:

Experimental dietary treatment Negative Control

PC:

Experimental dietary treatment Positive Control

SFA:

Saturated fatty acid(s)

SGR:

Specific growth rate

TAL:

Tallow

VSI %:

Viscerosomatic index

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation for funding this research. In-kind research support from Ridley AgriProducts Pty Ltd (Narangba, QLD, Australia) and the Midfield Group (Warrnambool, VIC, Australia) is gratefully acknowledged. The authors wish to thank Karen Hermon and Clara Trullas Huguet for technical assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Deakin University, Geelong, Australia

    James A. Emery, Fernando Norambuena & Giovanni M. Turchini

  2. School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Warrnambool Campus, Princes Hwy, Sherwood Park, PO Box 423, Warrnambool, VIC, 3280, Australia

    James A. Emery, Fernando Norambuena & Giovanni M. Turchini

  3. BioMar Chile S.A., Bernardino 1981, Piso 3, Parque Industrial San Andrés, Puerto Montt, Chile

    Fernando Norambuena

  4. Center for Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1125 Lincoln Drive, Room 251, Carbondale, IL, 62901, USA

    Jesse Trushenski

  5. Eagle Fish Health Laboratory, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, 1800 Trout Road, Eagle, ID, 83616, USA

    Jesse Trushenski

Authors
  1. James A. Emery
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  2. Fernando Norambuena
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  3. Jesse Trushenski
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  4. Giovanni M. Turchini
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Correspondence to Giovanni M. Turchini.

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Emery, J.A., Norambuena, F., Trushenski, J. et al. Uncoupling EPA and DHA in Fish Nutrition: Dietary Demand is Limited in Atlantic Salmon and Effectively Met by DHA Alone. Lipids 51, 399–412 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-016-4136-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11745-016-4136-y

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