COMPARISON OF DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID (22 : 6N-3) LEVELS IN VARIOUS ARTEMIA STRAINS DURING ENRICHMENT AND SUBSEQUENT STARVATION

K.M. Han, I. Geurden, P. Sorgeloos-2000

Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, 31 (3) : 469-475 (from Current Contents)

Abstract :

The aim of this study was to compare the levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) in three different bisexual and one parthenogenetic strain of Artemia after enrichment. Freshly-hatched nauplii from A. franciscana (Great Salt Lake, USA), A. sinica (Yimeng, P. R. China), A. persimilis (Argentina), and A. parthenogenetica (Tanggu, P. R. China) were enriched with a purified lipid emulsion containing 95% DHA ethyl esters (% total fatty acids) and subsequently starved. All strains had very low initial DHA levels (< 0.3 mg/g dry weight). Initial eicosapentaenoic acid, 20:5n-3 (EPA) levels were high in A. parthenogenetica (18.2 mg/g dry weight) as compared to those in the other strains (4.6-8.5 mg/g dry weight). After 24-h enrichment, A. sinica contained the highest DHA level (37.0 mg/g dry weight) as well as the highest DHA/EPA ratio (3.7). The lowest DHA enrichment levels were found in A. franciscana and A. parthenogenetica (26.3 and 22.7 mg/g dry weight, respectively). During the subsequent 24-h starvation period, the contents of DHA decreased rapidly in all strains, whereas EPA levels remained relatively stable. This indicates the high catabolism of DNA for energy production, the relative conservation of EPA, and possibly a partial bioconversion of DHA to EPA during the starvation period in each species.

(State Univ Ghent, Lab Aquaculture, Rozier 44, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium, tel: +32-9-264.37.54, fax: +32-9-264.41.93, e-mail: kyungmin.han@rug.ac.be)

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