Abstract
BackgroundThermal stressors in tropical aquaculture are unavoidable and cause many harmful effects. This study assessed the effects of ascorbic acid (AA) and iron nanoparticles supplementation in the diet of African catfish, Clarias gariepinus, and exposed to hyperthermia-induced stress. C. gariepinus juveniles weighing 6.89 ± 0.05 g were randomly distributed into plastic tanks of 48 cm by 30 cm by 31 cm dimension at ten fish per tank in a triplicate treatment. Five isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets containing 35% crude protein were formulated with AA and iron nanoparticles supplementation at (10, 8, 6, 4, 0) g/kg of AA and (0, 4, 6, 8, 0) g/kg of iron nanoparticles in treatment 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. After 8 weeks of feeding, fish were exposed to hyperthermia-induced stress. Blood was collected from the fish for haematological and biochemical analyses.ResultsResults showed that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) in the growth performance and nutrient utilization of fish subjected to hyperthermia-induced stress. Treatment three had the highest specific growth rate of 1.89 g per day and the best feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 1.48.ConclusionMortality was reduced with the supplementation of the fish diets with AA and iron nanoparticles. Based on the result of this study, a supplementation level containing AA and iron nanoparticles supplementation of 6 g/kg and 4 g/kg were sufficient as a stress-reducing agent in the production of C. gariepinus during hyperthermia stress.
Highlights
Thermal stressors in tropical aquaculture are unavoidable and cause many harmful effects
The result of this study confirmed the efficacy of ascorbic acid (AA) and Iron nanoparticles (Fe2O3 NPs) as essential nutritional elements and powerful antioxidants in the diet of African catfish C. gariepinus in promoting optimal survival and normal growth performance, especially during episodes of hyperthermia-related stress
The result in this study proved that the inclusion of iron oxide nanoparticles in the diets of C. gariepinus facilitates absorption of iron and there is a significant improvement in the growth, survival, nutrient utilization, biochemical parameters and haematological profile of fish fed ascorbic acid supplementation of 6 g/kg and 4 g/kg of iron nanoparticles when subjected to hyperthermia-induced stress
Summary
Thermal stressors in tropical aquaculture are unavoidable and cause many harmful effects. The. One of the main challenges in aquaculture is climate and weather conditions that have direct effects on the production and culture of fish, especially in the tropics. Hyperthermia stress can be described as the process whereby the fish are stressed when exposed to extreme temperature or when their water temperature is higher than the optimal tolerance range (Saima et al, 2017). This condition can lead to an increased body temperature due to failed thermoregulation that occurs when a body produces or absorbs more heat than it dissipates. Hyperthermia has been used experimentally as a stressor in challenge studies involving infectious agents, for example in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) exposed to Saprolegnia parasitica (Gieseker et al, 2006)
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