Deposition of astaxanthin in fillets of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) fed diets with herring, capelin, sandeel, or Peruvian high PUFA oils

To elucidate whether absorption and deposition of dietary astaxanthin are influenced by the use of different dietary fish oils having different melting points and fatty acid profiles, triplicate groups of individually labeled Atlantic salmon (initial average weight 569 g) were reared in 2 m(2) tanks, supplied with saltwater. The fish were fed four different experimental diets coated with either herring oil, capelin oil, sandeel oil, or a Peruvian oil high in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Salmon fed diets containing Peruvian high PUFA oil had significantly higher (13%) fillet carotenoid content than salmon fed herring oil(P < 0.05). Astaxanthin retention was significantly higher(P < 0.05) in salmon fed capelin and Peruvian high PUFA oil than in the two other groups. The effects of dietary oil supplements on carotenoid deposition were rather small and require verification. Redness of fillets and blood plasma astaxanthin levels did not differ among treatments. Liver weights, body weights, as well as specific growth rates, and feed conversion ratios were unaffected by dietary oil source. Significant (P < 0.05) positive linear relationships were found between final fillet idoxanthin concentration and total saturated fatty acids in supplement oils, astaxanthin and total monounsaturated fatty acids, and redness and total n - 3 fatty acids, whereas the relationships between redness and total monounsaturated fatty acids and astaxanthin and total n - 3 fatty acids were negative. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.