Elevated Water CO<sub>2</sub> Can Prevent Dietary-Induced Osteomalacia in Post-Smolt Atlantic Salmon (<i>Salmo salar</i>, L.)

oleh: Lucia Drábiková, Per Gunnar Fjelldal, Muhammad Naveed Yousaf, Thea Morken, Adelbert De Clercq, Charles McGurk, Paul Eckhard Witten

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-04-01

Deskripsi

Expansion of land-based systems in fish farms elevate the content of metabolic carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) in the water. High CO<sub>2</sub> is suggested to increase the bone mineral content in Atlantic salmon (<i>Salmo salar</i>, L.). Conversely, low dietary phosphorus (P) halts bone mineralization. This study examines if high CO<sub>2</sub> can counteract reduced bone mineralization imposed by low dietary P intake. Atlantic salmon post-seawater transfer (initial weight 207.03 g) were fed diets containing 6.3 g/kg (0.5P), 9.0 g/kg (1P), or 26.8 g/kg (3P) total P for 13 weeks. Atlantic salmon from all dietary P groups were reared in seawater which was not injected with CO<sub>2</sub> and contained a regular CO<sub>2</sub> level (5 mg/L) or in seawater with injected CO<sub>2</sub> thus raising the level to 20 mg/L. Atlantic salmon were analyzed for blood chemistry, bone mineral content, vertebral centra deformities, mechanical properties, bone matrix alterations, expression of bone mineralization, and P metabolism-related genes. High CO<sub>2</sub> and high P reduced Atlantic salmon growth and feed intake. High CO<sub>2</sub> increased bone mineralization when dietary P was low. Atlantic salmon fed with a low P diet downregulated the <i>fgf23</i> expression in bone cells indicating an increased renal phosphate reabsorption. The current results suggest that reduced dietary P could be sufficient to maintain bone mineralization under conditions of elevated CO<sub>2</sub>. This opens up a possibility for lowering the dietary P content under certain farming conditions.