INFLUENCE OF PURIFIED SOYBEAN PHOSPHOLIPIDS ON EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF COMMON CARP

The influence of dietary phospholipid (PL) composition on early develo pment was tested in a 25 day feeding trial with first-feeding common c arp (Cyprinus carpio) larvae. A phosphatidylcholine (PC) fraction (PL: 94%, PC: 83%, PI: 1%) and a phosphatidylinositol (PI) fraction (PL: 1 00%, PC: 3%, PI: 64%) were prepared from soybean lecithin and added (2 % on diet dry weight) to a casein-dextrin basal diet. Another diet was supplemented with 2% hen egg yolk PL (PL: 97%, PC: 68%, PI: 0%). A PL -deficient diet contained only peanut oil as lipid source and another one was supplemented with inositol. Final larval morphology was examin ed by an automatic image analysis system. The three PL fractions marke dly improved growth in comparison with the PL-deficient diets. Fish fe d the PC-rich diets had the highest initial growth rates. Inositol add ition had no beneficial effect. The two PC diets induced various defor mities such as lordosis whereas the PI diet resulted in the lowest fre quency of deformed fish. At the end of the experiment the fatty acid c omposition of carp was related to the fish size and to the fatty acid composition of the dietary FL. Results confirm that PL is essential fo r carp larvae and suggest a beneficial role of PI supply.