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We explored the influence of nucleoside by-products (NBP) on blood chemistry, immune response, oxidative stress and intestinal morphology of Seriola dumerili. Four experimental diets were formulated where diets 1-3 are semipurified and supplemented with liquid NBP at concentration of 0 (D1, negative control), 30 (D2) and 90 (D3) g/kg. Diet 4 (D4) is a fishmeal-based positive control diet. Each diet was randomly allocated to triplicate groups of fish for 50 days. The results revealed a significant influence of NBP supplementations on total cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen and triglyceride level. Lysozyme activity (LA), total serum protein (TSP) and peroxidase activity (PA) also increased with NBP supplementation as compared to the negative control. TSP, PA and LA were numerically higher in diet groups D2 and D4, respectively. Anterior enterocyte height (hE) was higher in diet group D4, while NBP-supplemented groups showed intermediate values with D1 group and negative control group showed significantly lowest value. Supplementation of NBP also increased anterior fold height (hF) and microvillus height and posterior hF, hE and microvillus height compared with D1. Finally, we concluded that NBP can be used as a cheaper nucleotide/nucleoside source for amberjack. Supplementation of more than 30 g/kg in diets improved blood chemistry, non-specific immunity, oxidative stress resistance and intestinal morphology of amberjack. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to determine the effects of copper nanoparticles (Cu- NPs) and vitamin C ( VC) on red sea bream. Besides the control diet (D1), six diets were supplemented with Cu- NPs and VC [0/800 (D2), 0/1,000 (D3), 0/1,200 (D4), 2/800 (D5), 2/1,000 (D6) and 2/1,200 (D7) mg Cu- NPs/ VC per kg]. Cu- NP was a significant factor on final weight ( FBW), weight gain ( WG) and specific growth rate ( SGR), feed intake ( FI), feed ( FER) and protein efficiency ratios ( PER), protein gain ( PG) and protein retention ( PR), body protein and lipid contents, protease ( PA) and bactericidal activities ( BA) and tolerance against stress ( LT50%) ( p < .05). In addition, BA and LT50% were significantly affected by either Cu- NPs or VC ( p < .05). Fish fed Cu- NPs or/and VC-supplemented diets showed higher FBW, WG, SGR, PG, PR, FI, PA, LA and BA values when compared with the control group ( p < .05). FER, PER and body lipid content were significantly enhanced in D4, D5, D6 and D7 groups; meanwhile, body protein and LT50% were significantly enhanced in D5, D6 and D7 groups when compared with D1 group ( p < .05). In conclusion, dietary Cu- NPs or/and VC improved growth and health of red sea bream. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feeding trial was conducted to determine effects of dietary inosine on growth, immune responses, oxidative stress resistance and intestinal morphology of juvenile red sea bream. A semi-purified basal diet supplemented with 0 (D1, control), 2 g kg−1 (D2), 4 g kg−1 (D3), 6 g kg−1 (D4) and 8 g kg−1 (D5) dietary inosine, respectively, to formulate five experimental diets. Each diet was randomly allocated to triplicate groups of fish (initial weight: 8 g). After 50 days of feeding trial, fish fed diets with 4 g kg−1 inosine had the highest ( p < .05) final weight, weight gain and specific growth rate. Similarly, improved feed intake, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio were also found at 4 g kg−1 inosine supplemented group. Some non-specific immune parameters such as total serum protein, lysozyme activity and bactericidal activity tended to be higher for fish fed diets supplemented with inosine. Peroxidase and catalase activity also influenced ( p < .05) by dietary inosine supplementation. Fish fed 2 g kg−1 and 4 g kg−1 inosine supplemented diets showed the least oxidative stress condition. Inosine supplementation significantly increased ( p < .05) anterior enterocyte height and posterior fold height, enterocyte height and microvillus height compared with control. We concluded that 4 g kg−1 dietary inosine supplementation effectively provokes growth and health performance of red sea bream by increasing growth, immune response, oxidative stress resistance and intestinal health condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 56-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplemented diets with β-glucan ( BG) at four levels [0 ( D1), 250 ( D2), 500 ( D3) and 1000 ( D4) mg BG kg−1] on red sea bream, Pagrus major. The obtained results revealed a significant increase ( P < 0.05) in final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, feed intake, body protein content, lysozyme activity and tolerance against low-salinity stress test in all BG-supplemented groups when compared with BG-free group. Furthermore, D4 group resulted in a significant increase in feed efficiency ratio, protein gain, protein and lipid digestibilities, serum bactericidal activity and peroxidase content when compared with D1 group ( P < 0.05). Haematocrit and plasma protein content in D3 group were significantly higher than those in D1 group ( P < 0.05). Interestingly, BG supplementation decreased glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase ( GOT) in D2 group and reactive oxygen metabolites in D2, D3 and D4 groups when compared with D1 group. Following low-salinity stress test, significantly higher amounts of secreted mucus were observed in fish fed D2 and D4 diets than those from fish fed D1 diet ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, the supplementation of BG improves growth, stress resistance and immune response of P. major. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A feeding trial was carried out to determine effects of dietary supplements of inactivated Pediococcus pentosaceus (PP) on growth, feed utilization and blood characteristics of red sea bream. Five diets containing different concentrations [0 (PP0), 1.6 9 1010 (PPI), 1.6 9 1011 (PPII), 1.6 9 1012 (PPIII) and 3.2 9 1012 (PPIV) cells g -1] of PP were fed to fish for 56 days. At the end of the feeding trial, the obtained results revealed a significant increase (P < 0.05) in weight gain, specific growth rate and skin mucus secretion in all PP-supplemented groups when compared with control group. Moreover, fish fed PPIII and PPIV diets resulted in significantly higher final body weight, feed efficiency ratio and bactericidal activity than those of fish fed PP0 diet (P < 0.05). Further, fish fed the PPIII diet also had a higher feed intake, protein efficiency retention, haematocrit, mucus lysozyme activity (LA), plasma and serum proteins than those of PP0 fed group (P < 0.05). Similarly, fish fed PPIV diet resulted in a significant increase in serum LA, peroxidase activity and tolerance against low-salinity stress test (P < 0.05). Considering these promising results, we suggest that the supplementation of PP Prep improves growth and health conditions of Pagrus major. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 45-day feeding experiment was conducted to examine two levels of dietary choline chloride ( CC) [0.6 and 1.2 g kg−1 CC] against control (0.0 g kg−1 CC) on the biological, biochemical composition and stress tolerance of postlarval (PL-20) Marsupenaeus japonicus. The results showed improvements in some biochemical contents such as phosphatidylcholine ( PC) and methionine (Met) as 0.6 and 1.2 g kg−1 dietary CC significantly ( P < 0.05) increased both PC and Met contents of shrimp carcass more than those of the control group. The results also showed that supplemental (0.6 g kg−1) choline could improve ( P < 0.05) PC/ PE (phosphatidylethanolamine) ratio. Growth parameters of the shrimp group that received 0.6/1.2 g kg−1 dietary CC showed a significant ( P < 0.05) improvement. In case of osmotic stress test, 0.6 g kg−1 supplemented CC level showed significantly ( P < 0.05) longer LT-50 (the lethal time needed to kill half of the population) than the other shrimp groups that received 0.0 and 1.2 g kg−1 dietary CC levels. This study showed the efficacy of 0.6 g kg−1 dietary choline to improve the osmotic tolerance of kuruma shrimp as well as growth, survival and biochemical contents of postlarval kuruma shrimp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]