Ascorbic acid status as affected by dietary treatment in the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri Brandt): tissue concentration, mobilisation and L-gulonolactone oxidase activity

Abstract

A study was conducted to evaluate tissue storage and mobilisation of L-ascorbic acid (AA) in the Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baeri) fed three different experimental diets. The three treatments consisted of a diet devoid of vitamin C (diet A0) and two diets supplemented with equivalent of 300 mg AA kg(-1) in the form of either silicone-coated ascorbic acid (diet SC) or of ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (diet AP). During the first phase (4 months) of the trial, six batches of 130 Siberian sturgeon (initial body weight: 25.5±0.5 g) each were fed one of the three diets in duplicate. During the second phase (3 months), fish from groups SC and AP were switched to diet A0 and those fed diet A0 during the first phase were switched to diet SC. Irrespective of the dietary treatment, growth rates were not significantly different from each other. At the end of phase I, in all tissues studied, total ascorbic acid (TAA) concentrations were higher in Siberian sturgeon fed diet AP than in the other two groups. During phase II, tissue ascorbate depletion was also higher in the AP group than in the other two groups. Transfer of the AA-free diet fed group onto a diet supplemented with 300 mg AA kg(-1) (diet SC) led to a slight increase in the TAA concentrations in all tissues. Blood plasma tyrosine concentrations were not significantly different between the three groups. Whole-body collagen levels were affected by dietary AA levels or forms at the end of phase I; the differences were not significant at the end of phase II. Muscle collagen levels were slightly affected. L-Gulonolactone oxidase activity was found in the kidney of Siberian sturgeon, but not in the liver. The ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate appears to be either better utilised by Siberian sturgeon, like in many other teleosts, or more stable than the silicone-coated AA during food processing and storage. Presence of L-gulonolactone oxidase activity in Siberian sturgeon kidney combined with the absence of gross scorbutic signs in AA-free diet fed groups expressing very good growth rates suggested no need of dietary AA byA. baeri.

Vitamin C - vitamin E interaction in juvenile lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens R.), a fish able to synthesize ascorbic acid

“…Additionally, ascorbic acid can be endogenously synthesized by gulonolactone oxidase (GLO) from gulonolactone, a molecule derived from Dglucose. We previously showed that Siberian, white and lake sturgeon have GLO activity located in the kidney (Dabrowski 1994;Moreau et al 1996;Moreau and Dabrowski 1996a), therefore sturgeon can synthesize ascorbic acid de novo unlike most other living fishes. Thus, sturgeon represent a unique model to study the relationships between endogenously-produced ascorbic acid and vitamin E-mediated protection against lipid peroxidation.…”

The role of dietary L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate on the growth and physiological functions of beluga,Huso huso(Linnaeus, 1758)

“…In contrast, because of the lack of GLO activity in the kidney of teleost fish, they cannot synthesize AA (Dabrowski ). Previous studies showed that white sturgeon (Dabrowski, ), Siberian sturgeon (Moreau, Kaushik & Dabrowski ), Sterlet sturgeon, Acipenser ruthenus (Mæland & Waagbø ) and lake sturgeon, Acipenser fulvescens (Moreau, Dabrowski & Sato ) produced sufficient amounts of AA for several roles. In most cases, similar to our findings, no growth suppression or deficiency signs were reported in fish fed diet without AA.…”

Recent advances in sturgeon nutrition

“…There is still a paucity of information on the vitamin and mineral requirements of sturgeons since the last review by Hung and Deng (2002) . Those authors reviewed previous studies on the choline requirement of white sturgeon ( Hung, 1989 ); vitamin C requirement of Siberian, lake, and hybrid sturgeons ( Moreau et al., 1996 , Moreau et al., 1999a , Moreau et al., 1999b , Papp et al., 1995 , Papp et al., 1999 ); vitamin C and vitamin E interaction of Adriatic, Acipenser naccarii , sturgeon ( Agradi et al., 1993 ); and selenium requirement of white sturgeon (Silas S.O. Hung, unpublished data).…”