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Astaxanthin (Ax) determines the flesh redness of a salmonid fish which is the most desirable quality indicator by consumers. Fish cannot synthesize Ax de novo, therefore, the only way to increase flesh redness is to increase dietary input or improve the absorption and retention rate of dietary Ax. As a hydrophobic carotenoid, the absorption of Ax can be modulated by other lipid molecules in the diet. The present study explored the effect of three lipids, cholesterol (CH), phytosterol (PS), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on Ax absorption, transport, and retention in rainbow trout. Dietary CH significantly improved Ax absorption by elevating plasma Ax levels (p < 0.05); however, it had no effect on the whole body Ax or flesh color. Dietary PS appears to inhibit Ax absorption since fish had significantly (p < 0.05) reduced whole body Ax. Dietary DHA appeared to have no effect on Ax absorption or retention. By comparing intestinal transcriptomes, a low density lipoprotein receptor (ldlr) gene was significantly downregulated in fish fed the CH diet as compared to the control diet. Since LDLR protein plays a major role in plasma lipoprotein turnover, we hypothesized that the inhibition of ldlr gene by high dietary CH resulted in higher retention of plasma Ax. The elevation of plasma Ax was not reflected in higher flesh coloration, which suggested other limiting factors governing Ax retention in the muscle. On the other hand, the transcriptomic and proteomic analyses found no changes of genes or proteins involved in Ax absorption, transport, or excretion in fish fed PS or DHA diets as compared to the control diet. In conclusion, this study has suggested that CH promotes Ax absorption by regulating lipoprotein retention and provide evidence for improving Ax absorption via dietary modulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing a bottleneck in the growth of aquaculture, and a gap in the supply and demand of the highly beneficial n-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA), sustainable alternatives to traditional marine-based feeds are required. Therefore, in the present trial, a novel oil obtained from a genetically engineered oilseed crop, Camelina sativa, that supplied over 25 % n-3 LC-PUFA was tested as a sole dietary-added lipid source in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) feed. Three groups of fish were fed three experimental diets for 12 weeks with the same basal composition and containing 20 % added oil supplied by either a blend of fish oil and rapeseed oil (1:3) (COM) reflecting current commercial formulations, wild-type Camelina oil (WCO) or the novel transgenic Camelina oil (TCO). There were no negative effects on the growth, survival rate or health of the fish. The whole fish and flesh n-3 LC-PUFA levels were highest in fish fed TCO, with levels more than 2-fold higher compared with those of fish fed the COM and WCO diets, respectively. Diet TCO had no negative impacts on the evaluated immune and physiological parameters of head kidney monocytes. The transcriptomic responses of liver and mid-intestine showed only mild effects on metabolism genes. Overall, the results clearly indicated that the oil from transgenic Camelina was highly efficient in supplying n-3 LC-PUFA providing levels double that obtained with a current commercial standard, and similar to those a decade ago before substantial dietary fishmeal and oil replacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing a bottleneck in the growth of aquaculture, and a gap in the supply and demand of the highly beneficial n-3 long-chain PUFA (LC-PUFA), sustainable alternatives to traditional marine-based feeds are required. Therefore, in the present trial, a novel oil obtained from a genetically engineered oilseed crop, Camelina sativa, that supplied over 25 % n-3 LC-PUFA was tested as a sole dietary-added lipid source in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) feed. Three groups of fish were fed three experimental diets for 12 weeks with the same basal composition and containing 20 % added oil supplied by either a blend of fish oil and rapeseed oil (1:3) (COM) reflecting current commercial formulations, wild-type Camelina oil (WCO) or the novel transgenic Camelina oil (TCO). There were no negative effects on the growth, survival rate or health of the fish. The whole fish and flesh n-3 LC-PUFA levels were highest in fish fed TCO, with levels more than 2-fold higher compared with those of fish fed the COM and WCO diets, respectively. Diet TCO had no negative impacts on the evaluated immune and physiological parameters of head kidney monocytes. The transcriptomic responses of liver and mid-intestine showed only mild effects on metabolism genes. Overall, the results clearly indicated that the oil from transgenic Camelina was highly efficient in supplying n-3 LC-PUFA providing levels double that obtained with a current commercial standard, and similar to those a decade ago before substantial dietary fishmeal and oil replacement.