Lipid conversions during enrichment of Artemia

Artemia nauplii were enriched for 24 h with radiolabelled fatty acid ethyl esters and then starved for a subsequent period of 24 h. Analyses of the distribution of radioactivity in lipids from samples taken at the end of the enrichment period and after the subsequent starvation showed that the ethyl esters were readily converted into other lipid classes, mainly triacylglycerols, during assimilation by the nauplii. The proportions of radioactivity recovered in free fatty acids and phospholipids increased during the starvation period indicating the mobilisation of fatty acids from triacylglycerols for use in catabolism and in the formation of biomembrane lipids. The distribution pattern of radioactivity from [U-C-14]22:6n - 3 in the fatty acids of the nauplii demonstrates that Artemia are capable of retroconverting 22:6n - 3 to 20:5n - 3. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.