Studies on the metabolism of astaxanthin in the rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri)

Thesis/Dissertation · Tue Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1985

OSTI ID:5207823

Al-Khalifah, A S

Racemic astaxanthin was fed to rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) for 2, 4, and 6 weeks. The fish showed a bright pink coloration of the skin and flesh; the highest amount of astaxanthin was found in the skin of fish fed the test diet for six weeks. Lutein, 3-epilutein, and zeaxanthin were also detected in the flesh and skin; it was concluded that astaxanthin was converted to zeaxanthin in the skin. The mean vitamin A content of the liver was determined; the ratio of vitamin A/sub 1/:vitamin A/sub 2/ was approximately 1:3. Retinol and 3,4-dehydroretinol were extracted from the intestine of rainbow trout low in vitamin A, after force feeding with astaxanthin using a feeding tube. Antibiotic-treated fish had no marked difference in vitamin A content compared with a control group that received no antibiotic. This proves that astaxanthin was converted to vitamin A in fish depleted of vitamin A, that microorganisms were not involved in the conversion, and that conversion occurred in the intestine. An in vitro study using /sup 3/H 3S, 3S'-astaxanthin incubated with duodenal and ileal segments of the intestine provided HLPC and radioisotope data, which showed that rainbow trout were able to bioconvert astaxanthin to vitamin A.

• Research Organization: Rhode Island Univ., Kingston (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5207823
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550501* -- Metabolism-- Tracer Techniques
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
BIOSYNTHESIS
BODY
CARBOXYLIC ACID ESTERS
CAROTENOIDS
CHROMATOGRAPHY
DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
ESTERS
FISHES
GLANDS
HYDROCARBONS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
LABELLED COMPOUNDS
LIQUID COLUMN CHROMATOGRAPHY
LIVER
METABOLISM
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PIGMENTS
RETINOIC ACID
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SKIN
SYNTHESIS
TERPENES
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRITIUM COMPOUNDS
TROUT
VERTEBRATES
VITAMIN A
VITAMINS