The effects of dietary butyric acid on early juvenile striped bass (Morone saxatilis) fatty acid profiles and essential fatty acid content

Diversification of the Canadian aquaculture industry is important to sustain production that will reflect the rising global population. First, larvae must overcome a production bottleneck that currently plagues their most vulnerable life stage, resulting in high mortality and low yields of market-sized adults. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are paramount to the growth and development of embryos and larvae. Deficiencies in EFAs result in developmental deformities in organs such as the brain and eyes, leading to high mortality and poor survival. BA is a short-chain fatty acid linked to significant improvements in growth factors of finfish, as well as increasing EFAs in human colon cells. In this experiment, early juvenile striped bass were weaned at 39 days post hatch onto an extruded pellet (0.6 mm) containing either 0.0, 0.5, or 1.0% butyric acid (BA), and fed for 10 days. Total fats, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), oleic acid (OA) and linoleic acid (LA) (mg/g) in early juveniles consuming 1.0% BA were significantly greater after 10 days compared to the control (0.0%) (p < 0.05). Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) content was significantly greater in the 1.0% BA treatment. Arachidonic acid (ArA) content remained constant throughout the experiment and the treatment groups. Dietary butyric acid has positive implications for the aquaculture industry, such as a complete fatty-acid profile, and an increase in certain EFAs during crucial developmental life stages of economically viable fish.