Comparative Analysis between Synthetic Vitamin E and Natural Antioxidant Sources from Tomato, Carrot and Coriander in Diets for Market-Sized Dicentrarchus labrax

Synthetic vitamin E is commonly used in aquafeeds to prevent oxidative stress in fish and delay feed and flesh oxidation during storage, but consumers' preferences tend towards natural antioxidant sources. The potential of vegetable antioxidants-rich coproducts, dried tomato (TO), carrot (CA) and coriander (CO) was compared to that of synthetic vitamin E included in diets at either a regular (CTRL; 100 mg kg(-1)) or reinforced dose (VITE; 500 mg kg(-1)). Natural antioxidants were added at 2% to the CTRL. Mixes were then extruded and dried, generating five experimental diets that were fed to European sea bass juveniles (114 g) over 12 weeks. Vitamin E and carotenoid content of extruded diets showed signs of degradation. The experimental diets had very limited effects on fish growth or body composition, immunomodulatory response, muscle and liver antioxidant potential, organoleptic properties or consumer acceptance. Altogether, experimental findings suggest that neither a heightened inclusion dose of 500 mg kg(-1) of vitamin E, nor a 2% inclusion of natural antioxidants provided additional antioxidant protection, compared to fish fed diets including the regular dose of 100 mg kg(-1) of vitamin E.

Automated summary

This study compared the antioxidant effects of synthetic vitamin E and natural antioxidants in aquaculture on fish. The results showed that neither a high dose of synthetic vitamin E nor the addition of 2% natural antioxidants provided additional antioxidant protection, and had limited effects on fish growth and antioxidant capacity.