E. Grahl-Madsen, O. Lie-1997
Aquaculture, 151: 269-274
Abstract:
Cod (mean weight 1.7 g) were fed diets supplemented with graded amounts of menadione sodium bisulphite (MSB) (0-21.5 mg/kg dry diet) for 23 weeks in triplicate. No differences in mortality, haematology and coagulation time related to dietary level of vitamin K were found. This suggested that cod has a minimum dietary requirement below 0.2 mg/kg for vitamin K. Significantly higher body weights were found in fish fed 6.5 and 9.8 mg MSB/kg dry diet, than in those fed 21.5 mg MSB/kg dry diet. Addition of the antibiotic (Nifurazolidon) resulted in reduced growth, but did not provoke external signs of vitamin K deficiency. Dietary MSB was converted to menaquinone-4 (MK4) in cod. The level of MK-4 in liver increased with increasing MSB level up to 10 mg/kg, whereas the level in whole fish increased further with increased dietary MSB. This suggests storage of MK-4 in tissues other than liver.
(Institute of Nutrition, Directorate of Fisheries, P.O. Box 1900, N-5024 Bergen, Norway)
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