Fatty acid composition of five Algerian bisexual and parthenogenetic strains of Artemia (Anostraca, Crustacea) and their antimicrobial activity

The brine shrimp Artemia remains among the most important food used in fish and crustacean larviculture, and the study of its cysts' nutritional quality is of great importance for products selection. Fatty acids (FAs) from decapsulated cysts of two bisexual (A. salina) and three parthenogenetic strains (A. parthenogenetica) from Algeria have been analyzed by gas chromatography. The aim was, first, to check the suitability of these strains as food for aquaculture and, second, to evaluate the FAs' efficiency in inhibition of some of the fish pathogen's activities. Percentages of total lipids were between 7.78 and 24.55% for the parthenogenetic strains of Bethioua and Sidi Bouziane salterns, respectively. Twenty-three FAs have been detected, and a high value of eicosapentaenoic (EPA; 20:5n-3) was observed in the parthenogenetic strain of Sidi Bouziane with 16.25 +/- 0.08% (39.89 mg g(-1) dry weight). The highest value of alpha-linolenic (ALA; 18:3n-3) was observed in A. salina from Chott Marouane with 22.28 +/- 0.16%, (30.72 mg g(-1) dry weight). The results of the antimicrobial screening assay of FA extracts showed their inhibitory activity against six fish pathogens. In comparison with ampicillin (Amp) and kanamycin antibiotics, all the studied strains of Artemia, except Bethioua, had better antimicrobial effect of their FAs against Vibrio anguillarum (gram-negative) than Amp. Streptococcus agalactiae (gram-positive) was the most resistant against Artemia's FAs. Decapsulated cysts with the highest proportions of PUFAs and rich in ALA and linoleic were the most effective against the bacterial growth. Regarding the FAs' composition and their antibacterial properties, Algerian strains of Artemia are good candidates for use as food in larviculture.