P. Coutteau, E. Kontara, P. Sorgeloos
Beneficial effects of dietary phospholipid (PL) in purified diets in terms of survival, growth, resistance to stress tests, and occurrence of deformities have been demonstrated in larval and juvenile stages of various species of penaeid shrimp. However, the mechanism behind the PL requirements remain poorly understood. This paper presents an overview of a series of experiments with postlarval penaeid shrimp (Penaeus vannamei and P. japonicus) that aimed at improving the understanding of the functionality of PL in shrimp nutrition. Biological parameters included survival, growth and resistance to osmotic stress. The content and composition (lipid classes, fatty acid profile of total lipid and individual phospholipids) of the body lipids were determined. The dietary effect of various types of purified phosphatidylcholine (PC: modified by hydrogenation or enzymatic hydrolysis; purified from hen-egg, soybean or marine fish roe) was evaluated using for Penaeus vannamei and P. japonicus. The interaction between the requirements for n-3 HUFA and phospholipid was studied for P. japonicus. Beneficial effects of soybean phospholipids in semi-purified diets have been confirmed using practical diets.
(Laboratory for Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center, Rozier 44, 9000 Gent, Belgium)