Vitamin C: An Important Nutritional Factor in Fish Diets
Adeyemi-Doro Omoniyi
Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Iyiola Adams Ovie *
Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Vitamin C is a micronutrient necessary for the proper functioning of fish body. It is needed for absorption of ions and nutrients and its deficiency in fish is evident mostly by structural deformities such as curvature of the spine, broken skull and hemorrhage. It is therefore important to incorporate Vitamin C into fish diets at recommended dosages for active uptake. It is a major component in the synthesis of collagen which enables fish to maintain its structural and skeletal integrity. During feed formulation, the use of phosphorylated form should be used for optimal stability in feeds because a great portion of the micronutrients can be lost during feed processing and storage. Based on all these facts, research is continuously being carried out to study the beneficial effects and how it can be adequately composed in fish feeds to meet the particular requirements of fish.
Keywords: Vitamin C, fish health, deficiency