Effects of Dietary Taurine on Maturation Indices, Antioxidant Capacity, Ovaries Amino and Fatty Acids Profile, and Vitellogenin Gene Transcription Level in Penaeus vannamei Female Brooders

A 30-day research was carried out to examine the impacts of dietary taurine (Tau) on ovaries maturation and physiological responses of Penaeus vannamei female brooders (29.4 ± 0.2 g). A basal diet (497 g kg⁻¹ protein and 140 g kg⁻¹ lipid) was administered with graded levels of Tau ranging from 0 (control) to 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 g kg⁻¹. A total of 180 shrimp brooders were stocked into 18 250 L black circular polyethylene tanks. Female (n = 5) and male (n = 5) shrimps were stocked in each tank and supplied with seawater (35.2 ± 3.1 g L⁻¹ salinity, 28.9 ± 1.4°C) and the experimental feeds were offered to shrimp twice a day at 5% of their biomass. Supplementing diet with 4–8 g Tau kg⁻¹ reduced latency period after eye stalk ablation to spawning (5–6 days) that was associated with higher hepatopancreatic and gonadosomatic (except for 8 g Tau kg⁻¹ diet) indices (p < 0.05). With 10 g Tau kg⁻¹ diet hepatopancreas glutathione peroxidase activity and total antioxidant capacity increased and catalase activity increased by 6 g Tau kg⁻¹ diet. Supplementing diet with Tau-enhanced bile-salt dependent lipase activity in the gut. Docosahexaenoic acid and Tau levels were elevated in the ovaries with the increment of dietary Tau level (p < 0.05). Plasma total protein, calcium, cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein increased with inclusion of 6–10 g Tau kg⁻¹ diet. The transcription levels of vitellogenin, insulin-like growth factor II, superoxide dismutase, prophenoloxidase, and lysozyme genes transcription levels were upregulated in the hepatopancreas of shrimp brooders fed 6–10 g Tau kg⁻¹ diet (p < 0.05). It seems that Tau at 4–8 g kg⁻¹ diet by modulating lipid metabolism, antioxidant capacity, and immunocompetence can improve maturation and health status of P. vannamei brooders.