Elimination of copper in tissues and organs of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum, 1792) following dietary exposure

Copper (Cu) elimination was investigated in the tissue and organs of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss, Walbaum, 1792), after Cu-free diets exposure. In the current study, fish were fed to satiation on diets containing 0.022 (Group 1; Control), 0.043 (Group 2), 0.123 (Group 3), 0.424 (Group 4) g Cu*kg(-1) diet for 60 days before elimination experiment. A total of 288 fish (mean weight 84.28 +/- 1.05 g) were randomly transferred to 12 fibreglass tanks. The fish were fed the Cu-free diet twice daily, until apparent satiation, during 60 days. Subsequently, the experiment was established for a period of elimination, during which samples were taken at days 15, 30, 45 and 60. Cu concentration in the muscle, gill tissue, digestive system, liver and whole body of fish were determined after 60 days depuration. Cu concentrations in tissues of rainbow trout decreased during depuration period, and the order of Cu elimination in tissue and organs of rainbow trout was: digestive system (73.1 %), then gill (41.1 %), muscle (31.5 %) and liver (17.2 %) for group 2; digestive system (74.1%), then muscle (65.8%), gill (60.0%) and liver (34.6%) for group 3; and digestive system (85.8%), then muscle (80.8%), liver (50.5%) and less/equal in gill (50.2%) for group 4. In statistical analysis, both groups and time were significant factors (P<0.05) on elimination rate. Moreover, significant interaction between groups and time were identified on elimination rate. Digestive system showed the fastest elimination rates of Cu at all groups compared with other tissues.