Effects of Dietary Phospholipids on Growth and Body Composition of the Juvenile Prawn

Abstract

The prawn Penaeus japonicus was reared with diets containing 3 % soybean lecithin (diet A) and no supplemental phospholipids (PL) (diet D) for 30 days. The deficiency of PL in diets significantly reduced the weight gain and feed conversion efficiency. The prawns receiving diet D without supplemental PL contained a lower concentration of PL such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylinositol in the whole body than the ones receiving diet A with supplemental PL. The retention (%) of dietary lipids, especially cholesterol, in the body was also significantly lower in the prawns receiving diet D than in those receiving diet A. These data indicate that the juvenile prawn requires dietary sources of PL for good growth; suggesting that the dietary PL may be necessary for the effective utilization of lipids such as triglycerides and cholesterol in the diets by the prawn. © 1986, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.