Organs development, gene expression and health of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) fed genetically modified soybeans compared to the near-isogenic non-modified parental line

The present experiment was conducted to study the possible effects of genetically modified (GM), full‐fat soybean meal (FFSBM) from Round‐up Ready® soybeans compared to its parental, and closest near‐isogenic, non‐modified (nGM) soybean variety, added at moderate (150 g kg−1) and high (300 g kg−1) inclusion levels. The fish showed a high specific growth rate (SGR 1.27–1.52), and nearly doubled their body weight (BW), with final weights varying from 1009 to 1110 g. Increased levels of dietary FFSBM, independent of the soy being GM or not, significantly decreased mean values of SGR, thermal growth rate, condition factor, final BW, liver somatic index, lipid efficiency ratio, apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) of protein and gross energy, liver lipid content and plasma cholesterol, and significantly increased ADC of starch and muscle fatty acid levels of 18:3n‐3, 20:4n‐6, 20:5n‐3 and total n‐3. Increasing dietary GM FFSBM significantly increased feed conversion ratio, and significantly decreased protein efficiency ratio, ADC of lipid and dry matter and plasma triacylglycerol (TAG) levels. Spleen somatic index was significantly larger in fish groups fed GM FFSBM compared to groups fed nGM FFSBM, which might indicate a possible immune response exerted by the GM soybeans. Mean normalized expression of heat shock protein 70 mRNA in distal intestine was significantly up‐regulated while normalized expression of catalase in liver was down‐regulated, in fish fed FFSBM compared to fish fed FM. In conclusion, substituting moderate to high levels of GM Round‐up Ready® FFSBM in diets for Atlantic salmon and compared to the closest near‐isogenic counterpart available, resulted in many effects independent of the soy being GM or not, but with the notable exceptions of enlarged spleen and lowered plasma TAG.