Vegetable oils in diets for Atlantic salmon; effect of dietary n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio on eicosanoid production and bone formation

We know that skeletal anomalies comprise a problem in commercial salmon farming. Mineral nutrition is an important factor in bone formation, but it is also known from mammals that lipid nutrition is important. The use of vegetable oils in fish feeds is ex pected to increase, leading to a higher n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio. Salmonids are probably evolutionary adapted to diets with a lower n-6/n-3 ratio than the didets with a high content of vegetable oils will have. We know that the balance between n-6 and n-3 PUFAs is strongly affecting bone biology in mammals via the effect on eicosanoid production. We know that other bioactive fatty acids like CLA may have similar effects as n-3 PUFAs. To our knowledge, there is no investigation evaluating how the dietary r atio of n-6 to n-3 fatty acids affect tissue eicosanoid production and bone formation in growing Atlantic salmon. The aim of this project is to provide this knowledge, which will contribute to a safe use of vegetable oils in salmonid diets. This will be o btained by investigating the effect of vegetable dietary oil sources and specific fatty acids on eicosanoid production, and its effect on bone formation, bone and mineralization, and bone resorption in Atlantic salmon.