Quantification of fatty acids over the gametogenic cycle of striped bass (Morone saxatilis) with varying dietary levels of DHA, EPA and AA

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the effects of dietary treatments on the fatty acid composition of striped bass (Marone saxatilis) blood, liver and ovary over the course of the gametogenic cycle. Striped bass were fed experimental diets in which docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and arachidonic acid (AA) were increased in a stepwise fashion progressing from diets 1-4 respectively. A significant difference was seen in the tissues between fish from dietary treatment group 1 when compared to those fish from dietary treatment group 4 suggesting a direct impact on the tissues by the fatty acid composition of the diet. The second purpose of this thesis was to explore the use of a novel method of fatty acid extraction from fish tissues. This method was compared (UMD method) was compared to the well-known Bligh and Dyer method commonly used for fatty acid extraction. The UMD method proved to be superior quantitatively in terms of fatty acid extraction when compared to the Bligh and Dyer method. The UMD is also more cost affective and leaves less room for human error.