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Supplementation of arachidonic acid rich oil in European sea bass juveniles (Dicentrarchus labrax) diets: effects on growth performance, tissue fatty acid profile and lipid metabolism

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of increasing dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) levels (from 1 to 6% of total fatty acids) on European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) juveniles’ growth performance, tissue fatty acid profile, liver morphology as well as long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) biosynthesis, triglyceride and cholesterol synthesis and lipid transport. A diet with total fish oil (FO) replacement and defatted fish meal (FM) containing a 0.1-g ARA g−1 diet was added to the experimental design as a negative control diet. Dietary ARA inclusion levels below 0.2 g ARA g−1 diet significantly worsened growth even only 30 days after the start of the feeding trial, whereas dietary ARA had no effect on fish survival. Liver, muscle and whole body fatty acid profile mainly reflected dietary contents and ARA content increased accordingly with ARA dietary levels. Tissue eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) levels were positively correlated among them. Hepatic lipid vacuolization increased with reduced dietary ARA levels. Expressions of fatty acyl desaturase 2 and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme genes were upregulated in fish fed the negative control diet compared to the rest of the dietary treatments denoting the influence of ARA on lipid metabolism. Results obtained highlight the need to include adequate n-6 levels and not only n-3 LC-PUFA levels in European sea bass diets.

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Abbreviations

LC-PUFA:

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid

DHA:

Docosahexaenoic acid

ARA:

Arachidonic acid

EPA:

Eicosapentaenoic acid

DPA:

Docosapentaenoic acid

HSI:

Hepatosomatic index

PFI:

Perivisceral fat index

VSI:

Viscerosomatic index

K:

Condition factor

SGR:

Specific growth rate

FCR:

Feed conversion ratio

fads2 :

Fatty acid desaturase gene

gck :

Glycerol kinase gene

hmgrc :

3-Hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase gene

fabp7 :

Fatty acid binding protein gene

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Funding

This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO). Project AGL2012-39919 (PROINMUNOIL). Complementarily, it has been financed through a ULPGC postdoctoral fellowship (PICULPGC-2013-CIENCIAS, concept 643.00.06) and a predoctoral fellowship (ULPGC-2013).

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Correspondence to S. Torrecillas.

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The animal experiments described comply with the guidelines of the European Union Council (86/609/EU) and Spanish legislation (RD 1201/2005) for the use of laboratory animals and have been approved by the Bioethical Committee of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

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Torrecillas, S., Betancor, M.B., Caballero, M.J. et al. Supplementation of arachidonic acid rich oil in European sea bass juveniles (Dicentrarchus labrax) diets: effects on growth performance, tissue fatty acid profile and lipid metabolism. Fish Physiol Biochem 44, 283–300 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-017-0433-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10695-017-0433-5

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