Arch. Pol. Fish.     Vol. 14     Fasc. 2            2006      p. 213-224

CAROTENOID COMPOSITION IN THE MUSCLES OF SIBERIAN STURGEON (ACIPENSER BAERII BR.) AND STERLET (ACIPENSER RUTHENUS L.) JUVENILES FED FEED SUPPLEMENTED WITH VITATO

Bazyli Czeczuga*, Ryszard Kolman**, Ewa Czeczuga-Semeniuk*, Mirosław Szczepkowski***, Adrianna Semeniuk*, Przemysław Kosielinski*, Nikolay Sidorov****

*Department of General Biology, Medical University, Białystok, Poland
**Department of Ichthyology, The Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, Poland
***Department of Lake Fisheries, The Stanisław Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute in Olsztyn, Poland
****Institute of Fisheries Management in Kiev, Ukraine

ABSTRACT. Column chromatography (CC), thin layer chromatography (TLC), and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) were used to test the impact of Vitaton, which contains a natural form of b-carotene, on the content of carotenoids in the muscles of Siberian sturgeon, Acipenser baerii Br., and sterlet, Acipenser ruthenus L., reared in recirculating systems. It was confirmed that the overall carotenoid content, including provitamin A, was significantly higher (P < 0.05) in the experimental groups of both species that were fed trout granulate supplemented with Vitaton in comparison with the control group fed unsupplemented feed. A total of 21 carotenoids were identified in the material examined; of these echinenone, 3’-hydroxyechinenone, a-cryptoxanthin, calthaxanthin, deepoxy neoxanthin, and a-doradexanthin occurred only in specimens that had been fed the feed supplemented with Vitaton.

Key words: SIBERIAN STURGEON (ACIPENSER BAERII), STERLET (ACIPENSER RUTHENUS), MEAT QUALITY, CAROTENOIDS, VITATON

CORRESPONDING AUTHOR:

Prof. dr hab. Bazyli Czeczuga, Akademia Medyczna, Zakład Biologii Ogólnej, ul. Kilińskiego 1, 15-089 Białystok, Tel. +48 (85) 748 54 83; e-mail: czecz@amb.edu.pl