Relative Biopotency of Dietary Ergocalciferol and Cholecalciferol and the Role of and Requirement for Vitamin D in Rainbow Trout (Salmo gairdneri)

Abstract

A growth assay was conducted for six consecutive 28-day periods by using triplicate groups of 110 rainbow trout with an average initial body weight of 3.0 g. Ergocalciferol (vitamin D2 or D2) and cholecalciferol (vitamin D3 or D3) were included to provide levels of 200, 400 and 800 iu/kg in a semipurified casein, gelatin diet. Further treatments with 0 vitamin D and 1600 iu/kg of D3 were also included. The resulting growth curves were significant for parallelism. Statistical analysis showed that D3 was 3.27 times as potent as D2 (limits 2.33 to 4.58). The dietary requirement for D3 was found to be in excess of 800 iu/kg of diet. Vitamin D-deficient fish showed no change in bone ash but exhibited clinical manifestations of tetany with no hypocalcemia. A complete absence of tetany was seen only in the groups fed 800 and 1600 iu of D3 per kilogram. None of the levels of D2 used were sufficient to completely alleviate symptoms of this disorder. These studies of rainbow trout provide evidence that vitamin D is required for the normal functioning of white muscle without altering the calcium content of the plasma or epaxial musculature.ergocalciferol cholecalciferol muscular development requirements trout