title: Studies on the vitamin C requirements of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus).
abstract: Three feeding studies on the vitamin C requirements of channel catfish were conducted with practical and semipurified diets. In a long-duration study in which fish achieved almost a 4,000% increase in weight, 50 mg of l-ascorbic acid/kg diet was required for maximal growth and food efficiency. A diet stability study revealed that excessive losses in activity of l-ascorbic acid occurred when practical diets were stored for 16 weeks at 20 degrees. The typical scoliosis condition associated with severe vitamin C deficiency in fish occurred in the nonsupplemented groups in the study with practical diets. Severe growth reductions were obtained from fish fed nonsupplemented semi-purified diets, yet no incidences of spinal abnormalities were noted.
mesh_terms: D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001206:Ascorbic Acid Deficiency / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004355:Drug Stability; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006400:Hematocrit; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D012600:Scoliosis / Q000209:etiology; D013122:Spinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D001205:Ascorbic Acid