Effects of different ligands on the bioaccumulation and subsequent depuration of dietary Cu and Zn in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract

The effects of different ligands on the bioavailability of dietary copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) to fish have not been thoroughly investigated. We therefore exposed juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss; ~200 mg body weight) to control food or to food supplemented with different Cu (~400 µg·g–1food) or Zn (~1000 µg·g–1food) compounds. Tissue metal accumulation was compared among groups. Fish fed CuO showed no differences in tissue Cu concentrations relative to control fish, suggesting that Cu was not readily available for uptake in this form. In contrast, Cu in the form of CuSO4, Cu-proteinate, or Cu-lysine was much more available for uptake, resulting in substantial increases in liver, gut tissue, and whole-body Cu concentrations during the loading phase and decreases during depuration, although liver and whole-body levels remained elevated after 2 weeks. We found no differences in tissue Cu accumulation among these three complexes. There were no effects on growth. For Zn, we found no differences among any of the treatments, including controls, in Zn accumulation or growth. Overall, there was homeostasis of whole-body and tissue-specific Zn concentrations despite the large differences in dietary Zn loads.