ABSTRACT
A trial was conducted to study the effects of different periods of enrichment with ascorbil pulmitate and starvation in cold condition on ascorbic acid [AA] content in nauplii of Artemia urmiana. Four treatment groups with 4 replicates of freshly hatched nauplii were kept at 28°C in incubators containing enrichment medium for 0, 12, 18 and 24 hrs, respectively. Then all of them starved at 5°C for 0, 12, 18 and 24 hrs. AA content was determined using a reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography coupled with an electrochemical detector. The results showed that nauplii of A urmiana had high levels of AA in their bodies [1534 +/- 166 ug/g DW]. AA content increased following enrichment and reached to their maximum after 18 hrs [3600 +/- 282] and then reduced by 24 hrs of enrichment [2938 +/- 254]. There was a significant difference in AA levels between non-enriched and enriched groups [P<0.05]. Although AA content enhanced in all groups during starvation periods at 5°C, the increases were not significant. However, significant correlations could be observed between duration of starvation and increasing of AA levels in non-enriched, 12 h and 18 h enriched groups. In conclusion, nauplii of A. urmiana had high levels of AA and enrichment with ascorbil plamitate increased their AA content significantly