How lipid content and composition in the diet is utilized by the various organs and tissues of fish is reflected in their structure, such as the intestine through which dietary lipids are digested and absorbed, the vascular system which is involved in their transport, and the liver where lipids are stored and metabolized. However, no study has been conducted to compare the effect of different diets containing different levels of highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) and essential fatty acids (EFA) on lipid deposition in fish larvae and early juveniles. Thus, we evaluated the effects of six isolipidic diets (enriched Artemia salina), differing in their fatty acid profile, on the lipid accumulation patterns in selected target tissues (intestine, liver and vascular system) in Senegalese sole (Solea senegalensis) larvae and early juveniles. Results showed that the profile of fat accumulation in these three tissues was significantly affected by the dietary treatments, the developmental stage of the fish (premetamorphosis, metamorphosis or postmetamorphosis), as well as by the interaction between these two factors that were responsible for changes in the histological organization of the tissues. Histological results revealed that a slight variation in the EFA levels (e.g. EPA, DHA or ARA) or in their ratios (EPA/DHA, ARA/EPA, ARA/DHA, (n-3)/(n-6) HUFA, OA/PUFA) modified the metabolism of lipids and disrupted the pattern of lipid accumulation in the target tissues, leading to intestinal and hepatic steatosis.

This work was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICIIN) and the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) of the Spanish Government (projects AGL2008-03897-C04-01/ACU, AGL2008-03897-C04-04/ACU and PIF-200930I128). M.J. Darias was supported by a Juan de la Cierva post-doctoral contract.

Peer reviewed