Scientific publication in British Journal of Nutrition with contributions from Skretting ARC

Skretting ARC researchers Wolfgang Koppe and Ramon Fontanillas has contributed to the scientific article "Dietary histidine supplementation prevents cataract development in adultAtlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in seawater" which is published in British Journal of Nutrition, reports www.megafishnet.com with reference to Skretting.

The article is written by R. Waagbo (NIFES), C. Troße (NIFES), W. Koppe (Skretting ARC), R. Fontanillas (Skretting ARC) and O. Breck (Marine Harvest).

The aim of the study was to investigate the cataract preventive effect of dietary histidine regimes in adult Atlantic salmon in seawater, both through manipulating the dietary histidine level and feeding period.

Three fishmeal and fish oil-based extruded diets, differing only in histidine content (low, high and medium) were fed to duplicate net pens in seawater. The experimental period was divided into three seasons (June-July; July-September; September-October). In July and September, a part of the population fed low and high histidinefeeds were transferred (crossed over) to respective series of replicate net pens fed low-, medium- and high-histidine diets. Development of severe cataracts was observed between July and September. The cataract severity was directly related to the dietary histidine level fed during the first and second periods. Feeding histidine-supplemented diets (medium or high) in the first period from June to July mitigated later cataract outbreaks.

The study shows the risk for cataract development for adult Atlantic salmon, 1 year after the transfer of salmon smolts from freshwater to seawater, which to a major extent can be prevented by histidine supplementation just before and during the early phase of cataract development.

Link to the complete article in British Journal of Nutrition: "Dietary histidine supplementation prevents cataract development in adult Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in seawater".