Muscle fatty acid composition and oxidative stress indices of Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.), in relation to dietary polyunsaturated fatty acid levels and temperature

The influence of feeding high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on muscle fatty acid composition and indices of oxidative damage was examined in Arctic charr, Salvelinus alpinus (L.). All diets contained 100 g kg(-1) lipid of dry weight. Two diets contained marine fish oils giving a PUFA level of 250 g kg(-1) and 500 g kg(-1) of lipid. The remaining two diets contained vegetable oils high in either 18:2n-6 or 18:3n-3, giving a PUFA level of more than 500 g kg(-1) of dietary lipid. The charr were maintained at 8 degrees C until their weight doubled, and were then transferred to 0.8 degrees C for 30 days. Growth was similar in all groups. The fatty acid compositions of muscle were influenced by dietary PUFA but were less diverse than those of the diets. The overall pattern of fatty acid compositions indicated preferential desaturation and elongation of n-3 PUFA coupled with selective oxidation of 18:2n-6. Total n-3 PUFA content in TAG was always lowered compared with the diet, suggesting a specific mechanism for the removal of these fatty acids. Subjecting the fish to low temperature increased PUFA content in muscle of charr fed the 250 g kg(-1) marine n-3 PUFA diet, but had no effect on the other treatments. For fish at 8 degrees C, no significant differences were found between groups in terms of haematocrit, plasma alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), and plasma and muscle thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), although there was a tendency towards increased levels of TBARS in the group receiving 500 g kg(-1) marine n-3 PUFA of lipid. Subjecting the muscle to forced oxidative conditions resulted in increases in TBARS in all groups, particularly those fed 500 g kg(-1) marine n-3 PUFA. Lowering the environmental temperature corresponded with a further increase in the plasma ALAT and muscle TBARS in this group. It is concluded that feeding diets containing high levels of long-chain n-3 PUFA may be detrimental to the fish's health and flesh quality, particularly at low environmental temperatures.