Effect of Artemia nauplii enriched with vitamin A palmitate on hypermelanosis on the blind side in juvenile Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

Abstract

The effect of Artemia nauplii enriched with different level of vitamin A (VA) palmitate (1 µg = 1 IU) on the occurrence of hypermelanosis on the blind side of Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus was determined. Artemia were enriched with 0, 1, 2, 5 or 10 mg VA palmitate/L (control group, and 1-, 2-, 5-, and 10-mg groups). The enriched Artemia were fed to the larvae from 27 to 31 days post hatching (dph) corresponding to the F-G stage. VA palmitate, retinol and retinoic acid (RA) contents of Artemia were correlatively elevated with increasing VA palmitate in the culture medium. RA was detected in Artemia enriched with 5 mg and 10 mg, and a significantly high frequency of hypermelanosis on the blind side was observed in these groups at 65 dph (P < 0.05). These results suggest that RA synthesized from VA palmitate in Artemia could induce hypermelanosis on blind side of flounder when Artemia are enriched with more than 5 mg VA palmitate/L.

Dietary vitamin A requirement of juvenile Wuchang bream ( Megalobrama amblycephala ) determined by growth and disease resistance

“…Further, fragile and pale livers occurred in fish fed high levels of VA. In rainbow trout (Hilton, 1983), tilapia (Saleh et al, 1995) and Japanese flounder (Tarui et al, 2006), similar signs of hypervitaminosis A have been reported. The response in fish fed high concentrations of dietary VA may be due to the following reasons; high VA levels might be toxic for aquatic animals over a long period feeding (Moren et al, 2004), damaging the cell-membrane and organelles (endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria) (Mohamed et al, 2003), reducing immunity and growth (Cuesta et al, 2002;Hernandez et al, 2005;Moren et al, 2004).…”

Progress on larval and juvenile nutrition to improve the quality and health of seawater fish: a review

“…Retinoic acid was detected in these Artemia at a level of 7.2-20.5 lg/g, dry basis (d.b.) [53]. Analysis of the kinetics of vitamin A-enriched live foods revealed that vitamin A palmitate in rotifer-and Artemia-enriched feed containing 10,000 IU/L vitamin A palmitate was metabolized into retinol and then retinoic acid within around 18 h after enrichment.…”

Effect of light irradiation on dynamics of vitamin A compounds in rotifers and Artemia

“…To avoid VA toxicity and to use positive effects to reduce pseudoalbinism by VA, safe levels of VA in terms of vertebral deformity in Japanese flounder were reported 22 . Feeding Artemia enriched with VAp caused hypermelanosis on the blind side of Japanese flounder 23 . Since RA was used for enrichment of Artemia in our previous study, it is not possible to compare these results directly with the present results.…”