Until the decisive breakthrough in research
it was usual to feed trout without
fat. The use of feed containing (animal)
fat caused fatty liver degeneration in the
fish. For this reason, only oils from marine
animals were regarded as suitable
for addition to dry trout feed. But even
when fed with easily digestible fats, fish
of the salmon family tended to develop
fatty disease of the liver and kidneys. This
resulted in impaired functioning of these
organs and ultimately in frequent cases of
oedema and an elevated mortality rate.
But if 3% poultry fat was added to their
feed, the fish grew faster. Feed experts
attributed this effect to the phospholipid
content of the fat. Against this background
the constituents of lecithin acquired totally
new importance in the feeding of trout.
The conclusion to be drawn is that the use
of lecithin in feed for trout has a highly favourable
effect on the health, growth and
feed conversion of the fish. This is especially
true if large amounts of fat are added
to the feed.
The digestive effect results from the
surface activity of the lecithin. The chyme
is mixed very homogeneously and its
surface area enlarged. This facilitates the
breakdown of the substrate by the digestive
enzymes. The effect of lecithins on
metabolism becomes apparent in the
transportation of fat between the liver
and the tissues and in the exchange of
substances between cells.
Besides the deoiled lecithin BergaPur
as a highly concentrated complex of active substances,
Berg+Schmidt offers further lecithin products for the aquaculture
market.
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