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Eryngium foetidum is a herbaceous plant found in tropical and subtropical regions. In vivo pharmacological parameters show that leaf extracts of this plant have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial activities due to their bioactive compounds such as flavonoids and phenols. Despite the evidence for several bioactivities of E. foetidum, information on its safety and tolerability is limited. The objective of this study was to assess the effect and concentration of different extracts of E. foetidum on the development of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos. To study the impact of aqueous (AE), ethanolic (EE), and methanolic (ME) extracts, the embryos were exposed to 0.625, 1.25, 2.5, 5, and 10 mg mL−1 for up to 120-h postfertilization to assess embryonic developmental toxicity and then to 0.039, 0.078, 0.156, 0.312, and 0.625 mg mL−1 to assess the antioxidant responses of the enzymes superoxide dismutase catalase, glutathione S-transferase (GST), and cell apoptosis. The results showed that, depending on the extraction solvent, concentration used, and exposure time, E. foetidum extracts caused mortality, altered the hatching time, and promoted changes in enzymatic activities. Delays in development and increased GST activity were found in all treatments. Apoptosis was not observed in any of the treatments. In conclusion, AE, EE, and ME concentrations above 0.625 mg mL−1 can cause adverse effects on the early stages of zebrafish development.

Obesity is a transgenerational epigenetic metabolic disturbance. Although the diet-induced obese (DIO) zebrafish model is well established, reproductive parameters and changes in offspring have not yet been evaluated. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate possible changes in reproductive parameters, embryos and offspring (F1) generated by the reproduction of diet-induced obese males and females. The adult zebrafish were divided into two groups: one group receiving a balanced diet (control group) and the other group was overfed (DIO group) . The dietary protocol was maintained for 8 weeks. During this period, males and females in the same group were stimulated through a weekly reproduction protocol. To verify parental obesity, body weight, blood glucose, triglyceride, the hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic index and adipose tissue morphometry evaluations were carried out. Reproductive parameters were evaluated through ovarian and oocyte maturation stage, total spawning, fertility and fertilization index. To verify possible changes caused by parenteral obesity, all offspring were kept in separate groups in correspondence with their parents and were fed a control diet. Plasma glucose, triglycerides, mortality rate, hatching, and deformities were determined. After 8 weeks under the diet protocol, the DIO group exhibited characteristic obesity alterations, displaying significant increases in body mass and hepatosomatic and gonadosomatic indices, hyperglycemia and visceral and subcutaneous adipocyte hypertrophy. In addition, high mortality rates, morphologic deformities and high plasmatic glucose and triglyceride levels, with 100% mortality at 60 dpf, were observed for the offspring. Therefore, obesity induction in adults led to negative effects on their offspring, with a high occurrence of deformities and mortality.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of feed restriction on the performance and feeding behaviour of Brycon orbignyanus. Ten‐day larvae (72.84 ± 8.61 mg) were distributed in 36 aquariums (density of 15 larvae/L) in a completely randomized design consisting of six treatments and six replicates. The treatments were determined according to the number of feed restriction days: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 days (F0, F2, F4, F6, F8 and F10, respectively), totalling 10 days. The results for final weight, weight gain and specific growth rate were significant (p .05), and no cannibalism behaviour was observed in any of the treatments. F2 and F0 treatments also displayed higher swimming speed (p .05) in muscle fibre diameter when compared to F0. Thus, dietary restrictions can be applied as a strategy for B. orbignyanus reared in intensive laboratory systems for 2 days without compromising performance, muscle growth and feeding behaviour.

Com o objetivo de melhor compreender a ecologia e a biologia de Salminus brasiliensis e fornecer informacoes basicas para a avaliacao dos estoques de peixes, este estudo verificou a idade e a biometria de S. brasiliensis. Sessenta e seis peixes (de 2 a 15 anos) foram capturados na Usina Hidreletrica de Funil, Brasil, entre setembro de 2006 e agosto de 2007. Os dados biometricos registrados foram peso, comprimento total e padrao, altura, espessura e comprimento da cabeca. O sexo foi determinado por avaliacao macroscopica das gonadas. As gonadas e o figado foram removidos e pesados para o calculo do indice gonadossomatico e do indice hepato-somatico. A idade de cada peixe foi determinada pela analise dos aneis de crescimento nas escalas, enquanto o raio da escala foi medido do foco ate o final da escala. As diferencas entre as medias biometricas sazonais e os indices reprodutivos foram verificadas pelo teste de Newman Keuls a 5%. Os resultados indicam que, nas estacoes primavera e verao, peixes menores foram capturados em comparacao com os capturados durante o inverno e o outono. As mulheres tendem a ter maior peso e medidas morfometricas do que os homens. A idade e o raio da escala foram positivamente correlacionados com as variaveis biometricas. As variaveis biometricas de S. brasiliensis podem ser usadas como um indicador de idade nesta especie.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different crude glycerin levels in the diet of Nile tilapia fingerlings (mean initial weight 0.32 ± 0.06 g, n = 450) on growth performance parameters, whole-body composition, blood glucose and liver morphology. Crude glycerin was tested at six different levels (0, 4, 8, 12, 16, and 20%) in diets containing 30% digestible protein and 3,000 kcal kg-1 digestible energy. After 37 days of feeding, the inclusion of crude glycerin resulted in positive effects on final weight, visceral fat, weight gain, feed conversion, specific growth rate and feed intake. The different treatments did not influence fillet yield, glycemia, survival and hepatosomatic index, but intermediate levels of inclusion decreased the area of hepatocytes. Regarding fish body composition, significant differences were found in moisture and ash contents, with no changes in crude protein and total lipid. The inclusion of crude glycerin in the Nile tilapia diet improves growth performance without negatively affecting survival rate and glycemia of fingerlings.

Ammonia is a pollutant commonly found in intensive aquaculture systems. At high levels, it can compromise animal health and cause great economic losses. Diets supplemented with additives and/or immunostimulating ingredients can improve animal health conditions and resistance to diseases. In this context, the inclusion of Arthrospira platensis (spirulina meal, SM) has shown promising results as a growth promoter, immune system stimulant, and antioxidant in fishes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of replacing fish meal (FM) with SM on the growth performance, feed efficiency, biochemical parameters, and hepatic antioxidant capacity of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) juveniles exposed to ammonia. The fish were fed diets with different levels of SM – 0 (SM0), 20 (SM20), 40 (SM40), and 60 g kg−1 (SM60) – replacing fish meal for 45 days, followed by 24 h of exposure to 2.5 mg L−1 ammonia. Growth performance was measured after the 45-day feeding test. The collections to evaluate the activity of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate amino transferase, catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and malondialdehyde (MDA) were performed before and after challenge with ammonia. The results showed that fish fed SM40 and SM60 had significantly improved growth performance, weight gain % (P = 0.017), and specific growth rate % (P = 0.011) over the fish given SM0. Fish fed SM40 and SM60 had lower levels of total cholesterol (P

Protein-rich microalgae are a potential alternative to fishmeal in aquaculture. In this context, this study evaluated the effects of fish meal (FM) replacement by Chlorella sp. meal (CM) on the growth performance, biochemical parameters, enzymatic activity and reproductive performance of zebrafish (Danio rerio). Six experimental diets were formulated to progressively replace FM. Up to 100% of FM was replaced with CM content at 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 g/kg diet. A total of 450 zebrafish were randomly divided into six groups, each group containing five replicates with 15 animals per replicate. After 60 days of feeding trials, animals fed 40 g/kg CM showed significantly better growth compared to animals fed diets with no CM. Likewise, animals fed 50 g/kg of CM presented the lowest levels of total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides. The inclusion of CM had no significant effects on enzymatic amylase and lipase activity, while significantly increasing alkaline phosphatase activity. The highest levels of Chlorella sp. meal in the diets (40 and 50 g/kg of CM) provided the highest egg production (P = .004), hatching rate (P = .004) and larval survival (P = .009) at 6 days post-fertilization. The replacement of FM by CM generated an increase in the final weight, accompanied by an improvement in total cholesterol, LDL, triglyceride levels, in addition to improving the reproductive performance of zebrafish, proving to be an interesting alternative to FM in zebrafish juvenile diets.

The lipid composition is directly related to nutritious significance of fish meat. In this paper we evaluate the possibility of tuning lipid composition of Nile Tilapia fillet changing the feeding treatments with different levels of energy and protein using lipidomic approach. Five feeding treatments were used varying protein and energy content with soy protein, corn carbohydrates and soy oil. Easy Ambient Sonic-Spray Ionization mass spectrometry in negative mode was used for lipidomic characterization of polar lipids in Nile Tilapia fillet, that were extracted using the Bligh & Dyer method and evaluated by principal component analyzes revealing differences over the treatments. High Resolution Mass Spectrometry data obtained were imported into Lipid Maps (www.lipidmaps.org, accessed on 10/19/2018) for molecular identification. The major influence to separate the treatments was protein content, energy does not appear to differentiate the groups. Thirteen different ions were observed as the major differentiators of the groups and nine compounds were identified comparing the mass spectrometric results to Lipidomic library, and they are related to high metabolic activity, lipids with anti-diabetic effect, and fat levels reducers. The lipid composition is directly related to nutritious significance of fish meat. In this paper we evaluate the possibility of tuning lipid composition of Nile Tilapia fillet changing the feeding treatments with different levels of energy and protein using lipidomic approach. Five feeding treatments were used varying protein and energy content with soy protein, corn carbohydrates and soy oil. Easy Ambient Sonic-Spray Ionization mass spectrometry in negative mode was used for lipidomic characterization of polar lipids in Nile Tilapia fillet, that were extracted using the Bligh & Dyer method and evaluated by principal component analyzes revealing differences over the treatments. High Resolution Mass Spectrometry data obtained were imported into Lipid Maps (www.lipidmaps.org, accessed on 10/19/2018) for molecular identification. The major influence to separate the treatments was protein content, energy does not appear to differentiate the groups. Thirteen different ions were observed as the major differentiators of the groups and nine compounds were identified comparing the mass spectrometric results to Lipidomic library, and they are related to high metabolic activity, lipids with anti-diabetic effect, and fat levels reducers.

In order to evaluate aspects of reproductive biology of the “pequira” ( Bryconamericus stramineus) in the elevator of the Funil Dam - MG, fish capture was carried out from November 2008 to January 2009 and 317 individuals were collected. The mean standard length (SL) of the population was 4.96 cm and mean weight 1.80 g. The females had SL of 5.0 cm, while males had a SL of 4.6 cm. A sex ratio of 2.20: 1 (females: male) was observed. Our results show that 73% of the individuals analyzed were considered adults. The species presented low fecundity, mean of 470.9 oocytes per female and a mean diameter of 221.08 μm, with an increase in oocyte diameter over the evaluation period. The length of the first gonadal maturation was estimated at 5.0 cm. The results obtained in this work suggest that the reproductive cycle of the species occurs in the analyzed period. Although this species does not have migratory reproductive habits, the presence of adults in the reproductive stage was observed in the transposition area, which suggests a search for new environments for spawning. Resumo Com o objetivo de avaliar aspectos da biologia reprodutiva da pequira Bryconamericus stramineus no elevador da represa do Funil - MG foram realizadas capturas entre os meses de novembro de 2008 a janeiro de 2009, sendo coletados 317 indivíduos. O comprimento padrão (CP) médio da população foi de 4,96 cm e peso médio de 1,80 g. As fêmeas apresentaram CP de 5,0 cm, enquanto que os machos obtiveram um CP de 4,6 cm. Foi observada proporção sexual de 2,20:1(fêmeas:macho). Dos indivíduos analisados, 73% foram considerados adultos. A espécie apresentou baixa fecundidade, com média de 470,9 ovócitos por fêmea e diâmetro médio de 221,08 μm, ocorrendo aumento no diâmetro de ovócitos com o decorrer do tempo no período avaliado. O comprimento de primeira maturação gonadal foi estimado em 5,0 cm. Os resultados obtidos neste trabalho sugerem que o ciclo reprodutivo da espécie ocorre no período analisado. Embora esta espécie não tenha hábitos reprodutivos migratórios, a presença de adultos no estágio reprodutivo foi observada na área de transposição, o que sugere a busca de novos ambientes para a reprodução.

The objective was to determine the requirement of digestible protein (DP) for Nile tilapia fed with diets based on soybean meal and corn. Two hundred Nile tilapia juveniles, sexually reversed, were used for a trial period of 100 days. The animals were distributed in 20 boxes of 1000 L-1 in a random design with five treatments and four replications, the boxes were connected to a water recirculation system. Five isoenergetic diets were tested with different levels of digestible protein (DP): 20, 25, 30, 35 and 40%. At the end of the experimental period were evaluated the zootechnical performance data. A quadratic effect (p < 0.05) was shown to parameters of final weight, weight gain, final length, fillet yield and visceral fat with the best points that ranged from 28.3 to 29.9% of DP. The largest area of hepatocytes was found to the lowest levels of DP in the diet (20 and 25%) compared to the other levels, which were similar. Thus, Nile tilapia has adequate performance for the consumption of diets based on soybean and corn meal and the recommended level is 28.3% of PD in these conditions. RESUMO. Objetivou-se determinar a exigência de proteína digestível (PD) para a tilápia do Nilo, alimentada com dietas à base de farelo de soja e milho. Duzentos juvenis de tilápia do Nilo (32,80 ± 0,39 g), sexualmente revertidos, foram utilizados por um período experimental de 100 dias. Os animais foram distribuídos em 20 caixas de 1000L-1 em delineamento aleatório com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições. As caixas eram ligadas a um sistema de recirculação de água. Foram testadas cinco dietas isoenergéticas com diferentes níveis de PD: 20, 25, 30, 35 e 40%. Ao final do período experimental, foram avaliados os dados de desempenho zootécnico. Um efeito quadrático (p < 0,05) foi mostrado aos parâmetros de peso final, ganho em peso, comprimento final, rendimento de filé e de gordura visceral com os melhores pontos que variaram de 28,3 a 29,9% de PD. A maior área dos hepatócitos foi encontrada para os níveis mais baixos de PD na dieta (20 e 25%), em comparação com os outros níveis, que foram semelhantes. Assim, pode-se afirmar que a tilápia do Nilo tem desempenho adequado para o consumo de dietas baseadas em farelo de soja e milho e o nível recomendado é de 28,3% PD nestas condições.