Aquaculture Nutrition最新文献

The purpose of this research was to investigate how adding dietary guar gum to high-lipid diets affected the fish growth and gut health of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). A normal-lipid diet (5% crude lipid; control) and four high-lipid diets (10% crude lipid) with 0% (high-fat [HF]), 0.3% (GG0.3), 1% (GG1), and 3% (GG3) of guar gum were developed and fed to fish (4.53 g) for 8 weeks. The findings showed that HF induced impairment of intestinal morphology and mucosal barrier, oxidative stress, gut dysbiosis, and gut inflammation. Compared to the HF, guar gum-containing diets substantially improved gut villus height, upregulated the expression levels of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 and zonula occludens-1, and downregulated the expression levels of toll-like receptor 1 (tlr1), tlr5, myeloid differentiation factor 88, interleukin-1β (il-1β), il-6, and il-8. Moreover, the GG0.3 and GG1 diets dramatically increased catalase (cat) and occludin expression levels. Furthermore, the GG1 and GG3 diets improved the microbiota composition by increasing Fusobacteria and Cetobacterium abundance while lowering Proteobacteria, Acidovorax, Acinetobacter, Serratia, and Comamonas abundance. Correlation analysis revealed that guar gum improved gut health by modulating gut microbiota and tight junction proteins. The findings indicated that guar gum can ameliorate HF diet-induced intestinal damage in fish.

Probiotics are important microflora that help in improving gut health, enhancing immunity, and boosting overall well-being. Sumithion (O, O-Dimethyl O-(3-methyl 4-nitrophenyl) phosphorothioate) is an organophosphate insecticide widely used in agriculture and aquaculture, has harmful effects in aquatic organisms due to its indiscriminate use. Therefore, this study evaluates the counteracting effects of multispecies probiotics (Bacillus subtilis, B. thuringiensis Lactobacillus plantarum, and L. buchneri) to sumithion toxicity in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Juvenile (12.84 ± 0.09 g) Nile tilapia were reared with four treatment groups: control, sumithion (0.3 mg/L), probiotics (1.0 mL/L), and sumithion + probiotics (0.3 mg/L + 1.0 mL/L) with three replicates for 42 days. Results showed that fish exposed to sumithion had significantly lowered weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR), while probiotics incorporation improved the growth performance. Probiotics mitigated sumithion-induced effects by increasing hemoglobin (Hb) and decreasing glucose (Glu) levels, while also reducing the higher erythrocytic abnormalities. Sumithion exposure caused marked alterations in intestinal morphology, and these changes were partially restored by co-administrations of multispecies probiotics, while enhanced intestinal mucosal folds, improving goblet and enterocytes cell numbers, and widen the lamina propria. Significantly higher and lower levels of mRNA for growth hormone (GH; gh) and insulin-like growth factors (IGFs; igf-1 and igf-2) genes were found in probiotics and sumithion-exposed fish, respectively. Relative mRNA level for antioxidant genes (catalase [CAT] and superoxide dismutase [SOD]) was significantly increased in fish exposed to sumithion, while the nonsignificant differences was observed in probiotics and sumithion and probiotics treated fish. Conversely, the expression of immune-related genes (tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-α], interleukin beta [IL-1β], and interferon gamma [IFN-γ]), was downregulated in sumithion-treated fish, and relative mRNA levels increased following the addition of probiotics. Therefore, incorporating probiotics into the aquatic environment demonstrated beneficial effects on haemato-biochemical properties, erythrocyte structure, and immune function, ultimately enhancing growth and countering the stress induced by sumithion pesticides.

Lipids are essential for crustacean reproduction, supporting broodstock growth and ovarian development. However, studies of n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs), particularly eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), on the growth and ovarian development of prawn broodstock remain limited. Accordingly, five experimental diets containing EPA concentrations of 0.12%, 0.79%, 1.46%, 2.21%, and 2.78% were formulated to examine their effects on ovarian development and broodstock health in the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (initial weight: 9.32 ± 0.52 g) and to determine dietary EPA requirements during ovarian maturation. The results were as follows: (1) no significant differences in survival rate were observed among groups. Weight gain (WG) initially increased and then declined, reaching the highest values in the 1.46% EPA group, although differences among treatments were not significant. In contrast, hepatopancreas index decreased significantly with increasing dietary EPA (p < 0.05). (2) Dietary EPA significantly altered hepatopancreatic fatty acid composition. Saturated fatty acid (SFA) levels showed no significant differences, whereas monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) decreased significantly (p < 0.05). In contrast, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and HUFA increased significantly with higher dietary EPA (p < 0.05), peaking in the 2.78% EPA group. (3) Antioxidant parameters, including total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), followed a pattern of initial increase followed by decline with higher EPA levels (p < 0.05). Malondialdehyde (MDA) content showed the opposite trend, reaching its lowest level in the 1.46% EPA group (p < 0.05). (4) Ovarian histology revealed that the 1.46% EPA group exhibited a higher proportion of mature oocytes, with most females reaching ovarian development stages III–IV, and this group also showed the highest gonadosomatic index (GSI). Steroid hormone secretion was significantly affected by dietary EPA (p < 0.05). (5) At the molecular level, EPA inhibited the expression of genes related to lipid synthesis in the hepatopancreas (p < 0.05) and promoted fatty acid β-oxidation, but excessive EPA caused irreversible hepatopancreatic damage. Polynomial regression analysis of steroid hormone secretion indicated that 1.32% and 1.50% dietary EPA supported maximum progesterone (PROG) and 17β-estradiol (E2) levels, respectively. Overall, a dietary EPA level of 1.46% was found to promote broodstock growth, enhance antioxidant capacity, accelerate fatty acid β-oxidation, stimulate steroid hormone secretion, and provide sufficient energy for ovarian development in the giant freshwater prawn.

Nutritional programing, which explores the link between early nutritional conditions and their long-term effects on animals, is a developing field within fish biology. Suboptimal nutritional status during early life is strongly associated with a higher risk of metabolic consequences later in life, including permanent growth retardation, impaired neural development, and disruption of important metabolic pathways. This association has been demonstrated by epidemiological evidence and subsequent studies conducted using fish models. It appears that fish raised on endogenous (maternally derived) and exogenous (larval feeding) diets from an early age may have comparable developmental and metabolic programing effects. Nutritional programing in fish has been shown to have an impact on survival, growth, cognitive advancement, and metabolism of nutrients. The influence of these programing effects may be facilitated by changes in metabolic pathways and the epigenetic regulation of gene expression during a critical window when bodies demonstrate great developmental plasticity. Thus, one strategy to encourage sustainable feeding practices in aquaculture may be nutritional programing. Furthermore, there is a significant death rate in the early stages of life within this critical window. This implies that the dynamics of wild populations may have quantifiable repercussions as a result of programing impacts. Numerous significant concerns remain unresolved due to the diversity of fish and the vast range of metabolic effects of programing. This review summarizes findings from fish models and emphasizes the existing knowledge gaps as well as key research priorities in the field of nutritional programing in fish.

The response of Acanthopagrus schlegelii to dietary defatted Hermetia illucens larvae (HIL) meal irradiated by γ-rays at various doses was examined. Five test diets containing 80 g/kg crude fat, 420 g/kg crude protein, and 200 g/kg fishmeal were designed. All test diets contained 224 g/kg defatted HIL meal irradiated with γ-rays at a dose of 0 (D0), 5 (D5), 10 (D10), 20 (D20), or 40 kGy (D40). Compared to fish fed diet D0, fish fed diets D5 and D10 exhibited higher values of final body weight, weight gain, retention efficiencies of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, and hepatic total antioxidant capacity, but lower values of feed intake and feed conversion ratio. Opposite trend was observed for these parameters in fish fed diets D20 and D40. No significant differences were observed in the condition factor, hepatosomatic index, and body contents of moisture, crude protein and lipid, carbon, and phosphorus among different groups. Compared to fish fed diet D0, fish fed diets D5 and D10 exhibited reduced or statistically equivalent waste excretion of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Fish from groups D20 and D40 exhibited higher Simpson index than fish from group D0. The beta diversity of intestinal bacteria differed between fish fed diets D0, D5, and D10 and those fed diets D20 and D40. A gradual decrease in the populations of the pathogenic bacteria Ralstonia and Pseudomonas was observed with increasing irradiation intensity. In contrast, the population of the intestinal probiotic bacteria Achromobacter increased two to four times. The results demonstrate that the potential of γ-irradiated defatted HIL meal as a protein ingredient for Acanthopagrus schlegelii is irradiation dose dependent. Overall, γ-irradiation of dietary defatted HIL meal at 5 or 10 kGy is beneficial for Acanthopagrus schlegelii.

A high-level fava beans diet has been proven to enhance the texture characteristics of tilapia muscle, yet it can also induce hepatointestinal injury. Rutin, as a nutritional additive, has antioxidant and immune-boosting effects. This study explored the regulatory effect of 150 and 300 mg/kg rutin on the muscle characteristics and hepatointestinal health of tilapia after being fed with a 60% fava beans diet. Two hundred and forty tilapias (average weight: 371.50 ± 9.29 g) were evenly divided into four groups and fed with the diet of groups C0 (0% fava bean), R0 (60% fava bean), R1 (60% fava bean + 150 mg/kg rutin), and R2 (60% fava bean + 300 mg/kg rutin) for 10 weeks, respectively. The results indicated that the growth performance in R1 and R2 showed no significant changes compared to R0, while muscle hardness, gumminess, and resilience increased, along with an elevation in muscle crude protein deposition. The addition of 150 and 300 mg/kg rutin enhanced the antioxidant capacity (AOC) of the muscles, liver, and intestines, alleviated liver damage by regulating liver lipid metabolism compared with R0. Dietary supplementation with 150 mg/kg rutin improved the composition of intestinal microbiota, significantly upregulating the abundance of beneficial bacteria Muribaculaceae unclassified and reduced the abundance of harmful bacteria Rhodobacteraceae, Chloroplast_unclassified, and Rothia. In summary, rutin can effectively function as a nutritional supplement to alleviate liver and intestinal damage caused by 60% fava bean feed, while also improving muscle texture simultaneously. This study provides a crucial theoretical basis for optimizing crispy tilapia aquaculture through rutin supplementation, promoting innovation in aquatic feed formulations.

For their ability to enhance performance, immune response, and robustness to environmental stressors in both fish and crustaceans, phytogenic compounds are receiving increasing attention from the aquaculture industry as alternatives to traditional feed additives. Numerous studies have investigated the use of a specific combination of organic acids and botanicals (OA + B) in terrestrial animals, but their potential role in aquaculture remains unexplored. The objective of this study is to assess the feasibility of a blend of OA + B (microencapsulated in a lipid matrix; AviPlusAqua – Vetagro S.p.A.) to enhance the health of gilthead seabream. To better assess the potential of the selected blend, both in vitro and in vivo experiments were conducted. Head-kidney leukocytes (HKLs) were incubated with varying doses of OA + B, then viability and cellular immune parameters were evaluated after 30 min, 2 h, and 4 h. For the in vivo assay, 120 gilthead seabreams (body weight [BW]: 48.00 ± 5.00 g) received a diet supplemented with 0 (control [CTR]), 250, or 500 ppm of OA + B; then growth performance, humoral and cellular immunity, and gene expression of immune-related genes were evaluated after 15, 30, and 60 days. In vitro, data from gene expression, phagocytosis, and respiratory burst assays demonstrated that OA + B positively stimulate HKLs activity. In vivo results showed increased growth performance (+19% in overall BW; +0.31 specific growth rate [SGR]) from 30 days of supplementation onward, along with improved humoral and cellular immunity. Gene expression analysis of intestinal samples revealed a positive modulation of genes related to intestinal oxidative stress response and a balanced pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine profile at both tested dosages. The results highlight that dietary OA + B supplementation modulates the immune response under homeostatic conditions, as evidenced by modulated expression of immune-related genes and enhanced phagocytic and respiratory burst activities.

Black soldier fly larvae (Hermetia illucens) meal (BSFLM) has gained increasing attention over the past two decades as a sustainable and functional ingredient in aquafeeds. This study presents the first scientometric analysis of BSFLM research in aquaculture from 2007 to 2025, using data from Scopus and Web of Science (WOS). Following PRISMA-guided screening, 355 peer-reviewed articles were retained and analyzed with the Bibliometrix R package. Results indicate a consistent annual growth rate of 11.42% in publications, with Italy, the United States, Norway, and China emerging as key contributors. Research themes have evolved from initial feasibility studies to more recent emphases on health parameters, immunological effects, and gut microbiota modulation. Species such as Oncorhynchus mykiss, Sparus aurata, Oreochromis niloticus, Salmo salar, Dicentrarchus labrax, and Litopenaeus vannamei are frequently studied, reflecting their commercial and academic relevance. However, a pronounced underrepresentation of carps and catfish, despite being the most farmed finfish globally, highlights a persistent misalignment between research priorities and global aquaculture production, likely due to the large variety of regional species being produced and investigated. Further regional disparities exist, with Europe accounting for 50% of the literature but only 3.2% of global output, while Asia accounts for 30% of the literature but 89% of global production output. These findings offer a road map to realign global research priorities with aquaculture production realities.

Niacin (vitamin B3) is involved in the metabolic regulation of energy metabolism in animals. However, both deficiency and excess supplementation of niacin can induce profound physiological disturbances in fish. The present study investigated the effect of niacin on energy metabolism and liver health in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Thus, Nile tilapias were fed diets with different niacin supplementation levels (0, 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg) for 8 weeks. The results showed that compared with the niacin-free group, dietary niacin supplementation (50–200 mg/kg) significantly promoted the growth of tilapia. However, excessive niacin supplementation (200 mg/kg) resulted in significantly higher condition factor and viscerosomatic index (VSI) compared to the moderate supplementation groups (50–100 mg/kg). Accordingly, hepatic triglyceride (TG) content was significantly elevated in the excessive niacin group (200 mg/kg). Furthermore, excessive niacin caused hepatic lipid accumulation by enhancing lipogenesis and inhibiting lipid breakdown, as evidenced by the significantly increased the expression of lipogenic genes while suppressing lipolysis and autophagy. Additionally, serum glucose and liver pyruvate in the niacin-free group was significantly lower than in other groups. The key genes of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis were significantly downregulated in the liver of Nile tilapia fed with a niacin-free diet. In contrast, excessive niacin supplementation (200 mg/kg) significantly suppressed hepatic tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle-related gene expression, indicating the inhibition of glucose oxidation for energy production. Further analysis of differential metabolites showed that excessive niacin caused accumulation of oxaloacetate, aspartate, and glutathione, but reduced glutamate content. Additionally, tilapia fed with moderate niacin supplementation (50–100 mg/kg) exhibited significantly lower serum alanine aminotransferase enzyme activity compared to both the niacin-free and excessive niacin groups. Hepatic catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were significantly elevated in this group relative to other groups. Overall, the data suggested that niacin deficiency induced hypoglycemia and reduced glucose activity in Nile tilapia, while excessive niacin led to hepatic lipid accumulation. Both deficient and excessive niacin intake compromised liver health and diminished antioxidant capacity (AOC) in Nile tilapia.

This experiment was conducted to investigate the impacts of dietary incorporation of a combination of broccoli by-product and citrus peel by-product (CBC) as a functional additive on the growth and resistance of the Japanese abalone (Haliotis discus) under various stressor conditions. A total of 2520 abalone juveniles (initial weight of 3.33 g) were assigned to 21 net cages, with 120 individuals per cage and three cages per feed. Six formulated feeds, supplemented with 0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, 3%, and 5% CBC, were prepared and labeled as the control (Con), CBC0.5, CBC1, CBC2, CBC3, and CBC5 feeds, respectively. Additionally, dry Saccharina japonica was prepared to compare the performance of abalone fed with the formulated feeds. All abalone were fed once daily for 16 weeks. Following the 16-week feeding experiment, 60 abalone from each cage were randomly chosen and evenly divided into 3 groups. These groups were then exposed to stressors: 20 h air exposure, 20 h high temperature exposure (30°C), and 12 h low salinity exposure (25 psu). The survival of abalone was checked for 5 days following these stress tests. The specific growth rate (SGR) of abalone fed all artificial feeds was statistically (p < 0.05) greater than that of abalone fed the S. japonica, but no statistical differences were observed among abalone fed the different formulated feeds. The shell length, width, and height, and soft body weight of abalone fed with all artificial feeds were statistically superior (p < 0.05 for all) compared to those fed with S. japonica. After the 5-day observation period following 20 h air exposure or high temperature exposure at 30°C, the survival rates of abalone fed with CBC2, CBC3, and CBC5 feeds were statistically (p < 0.05) greater than those fed with S. japonica. Increasing the CBC inclusion level (0–5%) in feeds linearly enhanced the abalone survival under 20 h air and high temperature exposures. Therefore, CBC exhibited great potential as a stress reducer in abalone feed, and the inclusion of at least 2% CBC in formulated feeds is recommended to enhance abalone’s resistance to air and high-temperature stressors.