Abstract
Phytogenics additives have gained considerable attention as efficacious and safe dietary interventions to reduce the toxic effects of aflatoxin B1 contamination in aquatic animals. The present study was conducted to investigate the ameliorative efficacy of Thymus vulgaris essential oil on aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) toxicity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in terms of growth performance, innate plasma immune indices and expression of immune related genes. Five experimental diets including a commercial diet as control, control diet +25 ppb AFB1, control diet +50 ppb AFB1, control diet +25 ppb AFB1 + 1% garden thymus essential oil (TEO), and control diet +50 ppb AFB1+ 1% TEO were tested. Triplicate groups of fish averaging 20.77 ± 0.08 g were fed the test diets at a rate of 3% body weight twice daily for 30 days. At the end of the experiment, fish fed TEO supplemented diets showed improved final weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and specific growth rates in comparison to groups received AFB1 with no dietary TEO supplementation (P < 0.05). The biochemical (total protein) and innate immune (lysozyme and ACH50) parameters were significantly enhanced in all TEO supplemented groups (P < 0.05). Expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, transforming growth factor-β and interleukin-8 were markedly up-regulated following feeding on diet containing high level of AFB1 (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, dietary TEO supplementation ameliorated the increased tumor necrosis factor alpha, transforming growth factor-β and interleukin-8 expression induced by dietary AFB1 contamination (P < 0.05). However, TEO supplementation significantly enhanced interleukin-1β expression (P < 0.05). It can be concluded that, dietary supplementation of 1% TEO can mitigate the AFB1 induced suppression of growth and innate immunity in rainbow trout.
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