Influence of Dietary Ascorbic Acid on the Immune Responses of Juvenile Korean Rockfish Sebastes schlegelii

Juvenile Korean Rockfish Sebastes schlegelii (length, 13.6 +/- 1.4 cm [mean +/- SD]; weight, 53.6 +/- 4.2 g) were fed twice daily with diets containing varying levels of ascorbic acid (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) for 4 weeks. Significant increases in daily weight and length occurred in fish fed more than 50 mg/kg ascorbic acid. The lysozyme activity of fish fed diets containing ascorbic acid was considerably increased in rockfish plasma at 400 mg/kg ascorbic acid and in kidney at over 50 mg/kg ascorbic acid. Total plasma immunoglobulin M (IgM) levels were markedly elevated in fish fed 400 mg/kg ascorbic acid. The results suggest that dietary ascorbic acid supplementation in juvenile rockfish can induce a significant increase in growth and in immunological features such as lysozyme activity and plasma IgM levels.