Fatty acid metabolism in European aquaculture
Fish are the major dietary source of n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFA) for humans with important implications in human health. With increasing fish demand, farmed fish has replaced over 50 % of fish consumption. The HUFA synthesis in farmed fish occurs through feeding with fish oils (FOs) from industrial marine fisheries, which is, however, an unsustainable and unsound source. Alternatively, vegetable oils (VOs) have been used in aquafeeds which are rich in short chain but lack long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), the main dietary requirement for marine fish. This may compromise the nutritional impact of farmed fish on human consumption. With this in mind, the EU-funded Cobiagene project investigated the PUFA synthetic pathway. Project researchers used cobia Rachycentron canadum L. to molecularly characterise fatty acid desaturases (Fad) and elongases (Elovl), the two enzymes involved in LC-PUFA biosynthesis. Cobiagene made great advances by cloning the genes encoding these enzymes, functionally characterising different members of the Elovl protein family and analysing their tissue expression. Seeking to find sustainable alternatives to FO, the Cobiagene project provided insight into the PUFA biosynthetic pathway in fish. Project results are expected to contribute to the diversification of European aquaculture with important economical implications.
