Integrative transcriptomic and metabolomic reveals squalene alleviating the inflammatory response and enhancing immunity of hybrid grouper (♀ Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂ E. lanceolatu)

Our previous study on plant oil substitution for fish oil found that corn oil induced inflammatory responses in grouper, while olive oil was effective in anti-inflammatory and immune enhancing. As a vital active ingredient in olive oil, squalene has been widely studied for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Therefore, the present study was designed to use corn oil as the main lipid source to create a model of inflammation or low immunity and investigate the regulatory effect of squalene on the immunity of grouper, and to perform hepatic transcriptomic and metabolomic assays of grouper using omics technology, with the aim of providing basic data for the study of the mechanism of squalene. The results showed: squalene ingestion did not affect the growth performance of grouper (P > 0.05) but significantly improved immunity and the resistance of grouper to Vibrio harveyi (P