Vitamin D₂ Is Not Biologically Active for Rora (Labeo rohita) as Vitamin D₃

Abstract

The present investigation was directed towards finding the relative biopotency of vitamin D₃ and D₂ in fish. The freshwater column feeder fish Labeo rohita (Rora) was used for the study. The feeding of Rora with graded levels of vitamin D₂ (550, 1, 100 and 1, 650i.u./kg diet) and vitamin D₃ (1, 100 and 1, 650 i.u./kg diet) resulted in no behavioural or morphological changes in comparison with the group fed a vitamin D-deficient diet. Also, the growth rate, feed efficiency, mortality rate, carcass protein, total lipids, calcium and phosphorus were found to remain unaltered in the vitamin D-deficient fish and fish fed any form of the vitamin. Further, there is no difference in any of the above parameters between the different doses of vitamin D₃ or vitamin D₂. Thus, the results of this study indicate that both of the forms of vitamin D (D₂ or D₃) are not biologically active for Rora (Labeo rohita) as a representative of freshwater fish.