Quantitative and qualitative analysis of retinoids in Artemia and copepods by HPLC and diode array detection

• Published in: Aquaculture 2005-05, Vol.246 (1), p.359-365
• Main Authors: Moren, Mari, Gundersen, Thomas E., Hamre, Kristin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acartia grani; Animal aquaculture; Animal productions; Artemia; Biological and medical sciences; Centropages hamatus; Chromatography; Copepoda; Copepods; Crustaceans; Diode array; Eurytemora affinis; fish culture; fish feeding; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; high performance liquid chromatography; HPLC; live feeds; Marine; qualitative analysis; quantitative analysis; Retinal; retinaldehyde; Retinoic acid; retinoids; Retinol; Vitamin A
• ISSN: 0044-8486; 1873-5622
• DOI: 10.1016/j.aquaculture.2005.01.017

Different concentrations of retinoids have been reported in Artemia. The levels vary from 0–362 μg g −1 Artemia (dry wt.). The aim of this study was to investigate the actual retinoid concentration in Artemia and compare it with levels in copepods. Samples of both DC-DHA Selco (INVE, Ghent, Belgium) from the bottle and after 12 h in the enrichment tank in addition to enriched and unenriched Artemia and copepods from a pond system were collected and analysed for vitamin A components. The analyses were conducted using two different HPLC (high pressure liquid chromatography) methods to ensure the justness of the results. The DC-DHA Selco contained 132.7 μg vitamin A g −1. After 12 h in the enrichment tank we could not detect any vitamin A. None of the following retinoids were observed in Artemia or copepods with any of the methods: all- trans-retinol (at-ROH), 9- cis-ROH or at-3,4-didehydro-ROH (at-3,4-dd-ROH). Method 2 detects several other retinoids when present, but none of the following were found in the two live prey organisms: cis or trans 3,4-dd-RA, cis or trans 3,4-dd-ROH, cis or trans 3,4-dd-RAL, cis or trans ROH or cis or trans RA. This implies that larvae feeding on either copepods or Artemia must meet their retinoid requirement from other sources than retinoids.