Effects of dietary ascorbic acid levels on cholesterol metabolism in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract

An 80‐day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary ascorbic acid (AA) supplementation at different levels (0, 0.2 and 0.4 g/kg l‐ascorbate‐2‐polyphosphate; 7.6, 77.2 and 146.7 mg/kg AA, respectively) on cholesterol metabolism in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Dietary AA supplementation regardless of inclusion level increased the serum total cholesterol and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol/high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio. No significant differences were observed in the serum triiodothyronine and thyroxine levels, faecal cholesterol content, hepatic activity and mRNA expression of acyl‐coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase among the dietary treatments. Dietary AA inclusion increased the faecal bile acid content, hepatic activity and mRNA expression of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase and hepatic cholesterol 7α‐hydroxylase mRNA expression, but decreased the hepatic LDL receptor content. High level of AA supplementation (0.4 g/kg) depressed the serum cortisol levels. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with 0.2‒0.4 g/kg l‐ascorbate‐2‐polyphosphate may increase the serum total cholesterol level in rainbow trout. The cholesterol‐raising effect of AA may be due to the increased hepatic cholesterol production and the depressed cholesterol clearance from serum. In addition, dietary AA inclusion also facilitates the hepatic conversion of cholesterol to bile acids.