Dietary Prickly Ash Seed Meal Suppresses Hepatic Lipogenesis and Improves Fillet Fatty Acid Profiles in Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella).

Summary

This controlled aquaculture trial investigated dietary prickly ash seed meal as a fishmeal replacement in grass carp feed, testing graded inclusion levels (0–10%) over 56 days. PASM supplementation dose-dependently suppressed hepatic lipogenic gene expression (pparγ, fas, dgat-1) whilst upregulating lipolytic pathways, reduced intraperitoneal fat accumulation, and significantly enhanced deposition of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids—particularly α-linolenic acid and docosahexaenoic acid—in fillets, resulting in an improved n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio without compromising growth performance.

Regional applicability

This study is directly relevant to United Kingdom aquaculture practice, particularly for farmed grass carp operations or broader applications in temperate freshwater aquaculture seeking sustainable fishmeal replacements and improved fillet nutritional quality. The findings on lipid regulation and PUFA enhancement may inform feed formulation strategies in UK farms, though additional trials under local rearing conditions would strengthen transferability.

Key measures

Growth performance, viscerosomatic index (VSI), relative intestinal length (RIL), intraperitoneal fat index (IPFI), hepatic and muscle lipid content, fatty acid profiles (particularly n-3 PUFAs and n-3/n-6 ratio), hepatic gene expression (pparγ, fas, dgat-1, pparα, cpt-1), hepatic histology, adipocyte size

Outcomes reported

The study evaluated the effects of graded dietary prickly ash seed meal (PASM) inclusion (0–10%) on growth performance, lipid metabolism gene expression, hepatic lipid content, and fillet fatty acid composition in juvenile grass carp over 56 days. Key outcomes included hepatic lipogenesis suppression, improved n-3 PUFA deposition in fillets, and effects on visceral fat accumulation.

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