Effect of dietary vitamin E supplement on the reproductive performance and gene expression profiling in Ompok bimaculatus during breeding period

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of vitamin E on the reproductive responses and the expression of reproductive genes in butter catfish (Ompok bimaculatus). Diets with different levels of vitamin E supplementation (0, 100, and 150 mg/kg) were provided to groups of fish for 60 days. After rearing for 60 days fish were induced with synthetic hormone, that is, Ovatide to study the breeding performance. Ovatide was administrated intramuscularly at the rate of 0.5 and 0.25 mL/kg of body weight for females and males, respectively, in all the treatments. Breeding performance result shows that supplements of vitamin E positively influenced the GSI%, fertilization rate, fecundity, and hatching rate. To understand the relationship between vitamin E and the breeding performance of the fish at the molecular level, a gene expression study was conducted. This study employed real-time PCR for the selected genes critical for reproductive function. In the brain, testis, and ovary dietary vitamin E supplementation of 100 mg/kg significantly enhanced the mRNA transcription of FSHR, Brdt, ESR1, 17beta2, and LHR. Hence, it can be said that 100 mg/kg of vitamin E supplementation in the diet during the reproductive period of O. bimaculatus could improve breeding performance and the mRNA expression of reproductive hormone receptor genes in both males and females of O. bimaculatus.