INTERACTIONS OF L-ASCORBYL-2-PHOSPHATE-MG AND N-3 HIGHLY UNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS ON JAPANESE FLOUNDER JUVENILES

A 3 x 3 factorial experiment was conducted using three levels of suppl emental L-ascorbyl-2-phosphate-Mg (APM) 0, 10 and 1,000 mg/100 g of di et and three levels of n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (n-3 HUFA) 0 , 1 and 2% of diet on Japanese flounder Paralichthys olivaceus juvenil es (initial body weight 0.35 g). Average body weight was about 6-7 g o ver a 50-day period of feeding in the APM-supplemented groups with 1 a nd 2% of n-3 HUFA, these groups showed higher weight gain and feed con version efficiency than in the APM-unsupplemented groups. Analysis of variance on weight gain, feed conversion efficiency and concentration of ascorbic acid in the liver revealed that there were significant (p< 0.05) interactions between APM and n-3 HUFA levels. The fatty acid com position of total Lipid in whole-body, neutral and polar fractions in the liver almost mirrored that of the dietary lipids. Inspite of the A PM level, there was no marked difference among the groups of diets wit h the same level of n-3 HUFA. Regardless of n-3 HUFA level in the diet s, the total lipid concentration in whole-body and liver generally inc reased due to the accumulation of triglyceride when the APM level incr eased.