EFFECT OF CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID FEEDING PERIODS ON FATTY ACID PROFILE AND NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF Astyanax altiparanae

The effects of feeding diets with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to Astyanax altiparanae for different periods were investigated on carcasses' fatty acid profile and nutritional quality. The trial was laid out in a complete randomized design with eight feeding periods (0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, and 49 days) and four replicates. A total of 240 fish (3.4 +/- 0.3 g) were distributed into four aquariums and fed with the diet containing 32% crude protein, 15 MJ kg(-1) gross energy, and 2.5% of CLA. Feeding CLA diet for 49 days resulted in the higher deposition of CLA, CLA isomers, and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The isomer c9,t11 was highly deposited than the t10,c12. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), n-3, and n-6 increased with feeding period, whereas saturated (SFA), monounsaturated, and medium-chain fatty acids decreased. PUFA/SFA ratio, DHA/EPA, EPA+DHA, and thrombogenicity index increased linearly. Whereas atherogenicity index reduced, hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio increased in quadratic effects over feeding time. No difference was observed for the n-6/n-3 ratio. Feeding A. altiparanae with 2.5% of CLA for a minimum of 35 days improves the fatty acid profile and provides a commercial product with good nutritional quality and functional benefits.