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Abstract: A 42‐day experiment was carried out to evaluate the effects of four different lipid containing diets (lipid 74.0, 105.3, 135.0, 168.1 g/kg diet) on growth, digestive enzymes activities, immunology and expression of canthaxanthin‐based coloration in parrot cichlid (Amphilophus citrinellus × Paraneetroplus synspilus). Each diet contained canthaxanthin 0.05 g/kg diet. Two hundred and eighty‐eight fish were randomly stocked into 12 glass aquaria to form four triplicate groups. Fish were fed one of four diets daily at 20 g/kg of their total body weight. Growth, digestive enzymes activities, immunology and body colour parameters were measured at the end of experiment. Based on the polynomial regression of dietary lipid level and specific growth rate, the dietary lipid level inclusion was calculated as 117.2 g/kg for the highest specific growth rate of these animals. The polynomial regression of skin colour parameters and dietary lipid levels indicated the critical threshold lipid inclusions in diet: 113.7 g/kg for the best expression of lightness, 112.1 g/kg for redness, 127.5 g/kg for yellowness and 125.3 g/kg for chroma of fish's skin. Considering redness, lightness and specific growth rate are most important variables, a diet containing lipid 115.0 g/kg can be recommended for blood parrot cichlid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The binding of carotenoids to the myofibrillar protein F-actin purified from the white muscle of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar L.) was studied using in vitro reconstitution. The binding of astaxanthin and canthaxanthin was saturable, and analysis revealed the presence of a single carotenoid-binding site. The dissociation constants (Kd) for actin prepared from 2.5 kg FW (Fresh Weight) fish were 1.04 ± 0.13 μg carotenoid per milligram of actin and 0.54 ± 0.11 μg/mg for astaxanthin and canthaxanthin, respectively. The saturation binding level (Bmax) for astaxanthin was 1.39 ± 0.07 μg/mg and 1.04 ± 0.08 μg/mg for canthaxanthin. These values were higher for F-actin prepared from organic and small (~0.5 kg FW) salmon than for non-organic and larger, mature fish. The structural specificity of carotenoid binding revealed a preference for carotenoids that possess a keto group at C-4 on the β end group of the molecule, but the presence of hydroxyl groups at C-3 or C-4 reduced overall binding efficiency. The study suggests that the ability of myofibrillar proteins to bind carotenoids is not a limiting factor governing the deposition of carotenoids in the muscle of salmonids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary lutein/canthaxanthin ratio on the growth and skin coloration of large yellow croaker. Five carotenoids supplemented diets were formulated to contain 75/0, 50/25, 37.5/37.5, 25/50 and 0/75 mg kg−1 of lutein/canthaxanthin. The diet without carotenoids supplementation was used as the control. Fish of the similar size (13.83 ± 0.04 g) were fed with these experimental diets for 8 weeks in sea cages. Results showed that there were no significant differences in survival rate, specific growth rate and feed conversion ratio among the all treatments ( P > 0.05). The ventral skin lightness was not affected by dietary treatments ( P > 0.05). However, the dorsal skin lightness in the treatment of control was significantly lower than those in the treatments with supplemented dietary carotenoids ( P < 0.05). The lowest values of yellowness, redness and carotenoid content both in ventral and dorsal skin were found in the control. Yellowness and carotenoid content both in ventral skin and in dorsal skin decreased with the decreasing of the proportion of dietary lutein. Meanwhile, the redness increased with the increasing of the proportion of dietary canthaxanthin. Fish fed with the control diet had higher melanin content in the dorsal skin, although no significant differences were found. Coloration parameters were linearly related to the carotenoid content in skin. Meanwhile, yellowness, redness and carotenoid content were linearly related to the proportion of dietary lutein. In conclusion, under present conditions, both lutein and canthaxanthin are needed in the diet for large yellow croaker. Compared to the lutein, higher dietary canthaxanthin contents are better for the skin redness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rainbow trout with an average initial weight of 160 g were fed during 42 days diets containing varied keto-carotenoids astaxanthin (Ax)/canthaxanthin (Cx) ratio, as follows: Ax 100% : Cx 0%; Ax 75% : Cx 25%; Ax 50% : Cx 50%; Ax 25% : Cx 75% and Ax 0% : Cx 100%. Muscle colour and carotenoid muscle retention were studied. Colour parameter values for mixed astaxanthin–canthaxanthin-fed fish were intermediate between those obtained for Ax 0% : Cx 100% fed fish group and for Ax 100% : Cx 0% fed fish group. Concerning muscle carotenoid retention, it has been observed that as the level of canthaxanthin in diet increased, the muscle total carotenoid retention decreased. In the mean time, as the level of canthaxanthin in diet increased, the muscle astaxanthin retention decreased while that of canthaxanthin increased. The results reported here provide further evidence of non-beneficial effects in terms of muscle colour and muscle carotenoid retention of the use of varying dietary astaxanthin/canthaxanthin ratio for feeding rainbow trout compared to values obtained for astaxanthin-only feed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar , fitted with permanent dorsal aorta cannulae were fed diets containing either 0, 30, 60 mg kg-1 or combinations of astaxanthin and canthaxanthin, with the aim of comparing the uptake efficiencies to blood of the two pigments and evaluating possible interactions during absorption when formulated in the same diet. Given either astaxanthin or canthaxanthin in separate diets, at dietary levels of <30 mg kg-1 , an identical linear relationship (R 2 = 0.97) between dietary levels and blood concentrations was observed for both carotenoids. At dietary astaxanthin inclusions above 30 mg kg-1 , blood astaxanthin concentration approached saturation at an average level of 1.2 ± 0.04 μg mL-1 (arithmetic mean ± SD), whereas blood levels of canthaxanthin continued to increase linearly throughout the inclusion range tested (0–60 mg kg-1 ). When both carotenoids were presented in the same diet, a reduction in the absorption efficiency of both pigments was observed (P < 0.05). This manifested itself as a lower level in blood than the level observed when each carotenoid was administered separately. The negative interaction was most prominent for astaxanthin, the maximum average blood saturation level of which fell (P < 0.05) to 0.73 ± 0.03 μg mL-1 (arithmetic mean ± SD). Our data support the conclusion that at higher dietary inclusions, canthaxanthin is more efficiently absorbed from the digestive tract into the blood of S. salar than astaxanthin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]