Melanin Pigmentation in salmon Fillets: Causes, Risk Factors
Author - Materials were provided by Norwegian School of Veterinary Science
Topic - Marine Science/ Salmon Fillets Causes and Risk Factors
Date of Article - October 23, 2013
Topic - Marine Science/ Salmon Fillets Causes and Risk Factors
Date of Article - October 23, 2013
At the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science there is a PhD project about them examining salmon's discoloration or the melanin black spots on the farmed salmons. Before these spots were believed to be used to caused by vaccines with oil-based adjuvants though the study shows that even unvaccinated salmons had these black spots. So the cause of this phenomenon isn't because of the vaccines with oil-based adjuvants but something else. They figured out that the phenomenon was caused by chronic inflammation sites in the muscle that caused the with melanin coloration to appear. The factors that caused this wasn't just the vaccines with oil-based adjuvants, but also other factors as the environment, genetics, and diseases. "Hilde Fagerland's thesis is a study of pathological melanin pigmentation in farmed salmon." She used data from both unvaccinated and vaccinated salmon, and both were found with the melanin.
She figured that triploid fish had the melanin spots more than diploid fish. Another factor that was discovered was that the fishes
suffering from the heart cardiomyopathy syndrome lead to the discoloration spots and scar tissues. "In short, the findings of this
project indicate that melanin is formed as a support to the defense and repair processes that occur following chronic inflammation."
The melanin color was caused due to the repairing process of chronic inflammation.
She figured that triploid fish had the melanin spots more than diploid fish. Another factor that was discovered was that the fishes
suffering from the heart cardiomyopathy syndrome lead to the discoloration spots and scar tissues. "In short, the findings of this
project indicate that melanin is formed as a support to the defense and repair processes that occur following chronic inflammation."
The melanin color was caused due to the repairing process of chronic inflammation.
I chose this article I was concerned and interested in the article when I read the title. I also was curious about what did the word melanin mean ans what did it have to do with salmons. So those are the two main reasons why I chose this article. I found that the melanin pots were created due to the process of repairing from the chronic inflammation was interesting. Before I thought that it was a toxic that could've caused the melanin spots, but there are many other factors that affected the salmons so I wasn't sure enough. When this article came up, it reminded me of beef with a dark discoloration on the meat as well. Though I wasn't sure what caused it for the beef, but I was wondering if it could be chronic inflammation as well. If it wasn't chronic inflammation, then what is it? The beef discoloration and salmon discoloration really had a connection for me when I thought about it.
After discovering that the discoloration of the salmon was due to repairing from chronic inflammation, there could be another factor that pops up later. Such as the triploid fish having that as a normal discoloration trait that is genetics, while only some diploid fishes have it because they are healing their tissue scars. Or another thought is that may their environment is changing, so they are getting the discoloration for adaption features. Maybe the fishes just have that discoloration for a certain period of time during a certain season. I found this article significant, because it clarified me of it's title. Meaning that after reading through the article I changed my thought about what the article was going to be about. At first I thought it was going to be about how the salmons are getting poisoned, but it turned out to tell me that the discoloration was caused by repairing from the chronic inflammation not from toxic.