Tissue vitamin E concentrations during smoltification and seawater transfer in farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L.

Plasma and liver vitamin E concentrations in a population of farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., fed commercial diets were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. In healthy fish fed diets containing 160-210 mg kg(-1) all-rac a-tocopheryl acetate, vitamin E accumulated in the liver and plasma. Over a 20-month period, beginning 4 months prior to seawater transfer, mean vitamin E concentrations ranged from 51 to 754 mu g g(-1) wet tissue in liver and from 7 to 68 mu g mL(-1) in plasma. In liver, a sharp increase in vitamin E concentrations was recorded between 6 and 10 weeks after transfer. In plasma a similar increase occurred between 4 and 5 months post transfer. Total lipid and polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations were also measured in these tissues. Liver total lipid concentrations fell during the period of smoltification, but there was no relationship between vitamin E and either total lipid or total polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in liver or plasma.