Accumulation and Elimination of Dietary Gossypol in the Organs of Rainbow Trout

A study was made to determine the pattern of accumulation and elimination of dietary gossypol from various organs of rainbow trout. Young fingerling trout were fed purified diets containing gossypol at levels of 250 and 1000 ppm. Fish fed 1000 ppm gossypol for 18 months accumulated large amounts of gossypol in their tissue, with the highest concentration being in the liver and the lowest in the muscle tissue. After the fish had received a gossypol-free recovery diet for 10 weeks, these tissue levels were only partially depleted, with the free gossypol levels being lowered much more than the bound. The bound gossypol content of the liver was not significantly reduced over this 10-week period. Fish raised with a gossypol-free control diet for 9 months and then fed 1000 ppm dietary gossypol for 2 months accumulated much lower levels of free gossypol in their organs, but levels of bound gossypol approached those of fish fed gossypol for 18 months. Fish fed 250 ppm dietary gossypol for 12 months accumulated lower concentrations of gossypol in their organs. In all cases, the liver accumulated the highest concentration of gossypol.