title: Effects of additional cysteine in fish diet on mercury concentration.
abstract: Mercury contamination, especially of seafood, continues to attract public concern. Cysteine, NH2CH(CH2SH)COOH, is a naturally occurring hydrophobic amino acid that contains a thiol group. The purpose of our study was to investigate the use of the additive cysteine in fish diets to reduce mercury concentration in fish, and to observe the effectiveness of dietary cysteine in fish livers. Diets containing 1% and 10% cysteine successfully decreased mercury concentrations in fish compared with the 0% cysteine diet. The liver may have formed excessive lipid droplets or was unable to mobilize lipid stores during exposure to mercury; additional cysteine could help to mobilize excessive lipids in it.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fisheries, Kinki University, Nakamachi 3327-204, Nara 631-8505, Japan; Faculty of Fisheries and Aqua-Industry, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu, Malaysia. Electronic address: mokwj@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mok
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hatanaka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seoka
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsukamasa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism*; D008099:Liver / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011036:Poecilia / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D008628:Mercury; D003545:Cysteine
keywords: Cysteine; Guppy; Histopathology; Lipid; Mercury