Lipid composition and vitamin content of wild female Litopenaeus Õannamei in different stages of sexual maturation

Wild Litopenaeus Õannamei females in different stages of sexual maturation were sampled, Ž . including spent females and their nauplii, for determination of the lipid content, lipid class LC Ž . composition, fatty acid FA composition, vitamin C content and vitamin E content. Free FA Ž . Ž . Ž . Ž . FFA , triacylglycerol TAG , phosphatidylcholine PC and sterol esters SE were the dominant Ž . LC in the midgut gland. TAG and phospholipids PL , mainly PC and phosphatidylethanolamine Ž . Ž . Ž . PE , were the dominant ovarian LC. Neutral lipids NL prevailed over polar lipids POL in midgut gland lipids, while ovarian lipids displayed an inverse relationship. An increase in ovarian Ž . Ž . TL was observed from stage 0 immature to stage 1 early maturing . Later, from stage 1 to stage Ž . 2 mid maturing , a decrease in midgut gland TL was observed. TAG was most responsible for these changes in TL. Lipids were preferentially transferred to the nauplii, which contained relatively high TAG and PC levels. In both midgut gland and ovaries, 16:00, 18:00, 16:1ny7, Ž . Ž . 18:1ny9, arachidonic acid ARA; 20:4ny6 , eicosapentaenoic acid EPA; 20:5ny3 and Ž . docosahexaenoic acid DHA; 22:6ny3 were the principal FA. All tissues and nauplii displayed ny3)ny6 and EPA)DHA relationships, and contained high proportions of ny3 highly Ž . unsaturated FA ny3 HUFA . During sexual maturation, the sum of poly-unsaturated FA Ž . PUFA decreased in the ovaries due to the decrease in ny6 PUFA such as ARA. The sum of Ž . mono-unsaturated FA MUFA , on the other hand, increased in the ovaries. AA levels were high ) Corresponding author. Laboratory of Aquaculture and Artemia Reference Center, Ghent University, Rozier 44, B-9000 Gent, Belgium. Tel.: q32-9-264-37-54; fax: q32-9-264-41-93. Ž . E-mail address: [email protected] R. Wouters . 0044-8486r01r$ see front matter q2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved. Ž . PII: S0044-8486 01 00522-1 ( ) R. Wouters et al.rAquaculture 198 2001 307–323 308 in immature, maturing and mature ovaries. They were low in the ovaries of spent females and nauplii. Vitamin E levels were low in immature ovaries, increased substantially during ovarian maturation, and then decreased again upon spawning. High vitamin E levels were retained in the nauplii. The findings of this study, combined with those reported in related studies, suggest the importance of ny3 HUFA for larval development, of vitamin C for egg development and hatching, and of vitamin E for ovarian maturation and larval development. These nutrients cannot be synthesised de novo by shrimp, and should be included at high levels in the broodstock diet. q 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.