Synergistic Effects of Dietary Vitamins C and E on Methylmercury-Induced Toxicity in Juvenile Olive Flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the synergistic effects of vitamin C and E on methylmercury (MeHg) toxicity in juve -nile olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceus . In a 3×3 factorial design, 9 experimental diets containing three different vitamin C (0, 200 or 400 mg/kg diet in the form of l-ascorbyl-2-monophosphate) and vitamin E (0, 100 or 200 mg/kg diet in the form of dl-α-tocopheryl acetate) levels with the Hg toxicity level (20 mg/kg diet in the form of MeHg) were formulated. Triplicate groups of fish averaging 2.3 ± 0.05 g (mean ± SD) were fed one of the 9 diets in a flow through system for 8 weeks. Fish fed 400 mg vitamin C/kg diet with 100 or 200 mg vitamin E/kg diet showed significantly ( P < 0.05) higher weight gain (WG) than did fish fed the other diets. Fish fed 400 mg vitamin C/kg diet at all vitamin E levels and those which fed vitamin C and E equally at a rate of 200 mg/kg diet showed significantly ( P < 0.05) higher feed efficiency (FE), specific growth rate (SGR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) than did fish fed the other diets. Fish fed 200 and 400 mg vitamin C/kg diet exhibited significantly (