Effects of dietary quercetin on growth, antioxidant capacity, immune response and immune-related gene expression in snakehead fish, Channa argus

Abstract

The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of quercetin-supplemented in diet on growth, antioxidant capacity and immune response and immune-related gene expression of Channa argus (C. argus) (initial weight, 24.50 ± 0.24 g). A basal diet was supplemented with quercetin at 0, 150, 300 or 450 mg kg−1 and feed to C. argus 56 days. Weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly increased (P < .05), and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly decreased (P < .05) with the increase of dietary quercetin levels from 0 to 450 mg kg−1. Supplemented quercetin (150, 300 or 450 mg kg−1) significantly enhanced (P < .05) serum or tissues superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), lysozyme (LZM) activity and complement 3 (C3), complement 4 (C4), immunoglobulin M (IgM) concentration. Meanwhile, quercetin administration significantly up-regulated (P < .05) the expression of immune-related cytokines (interleukin-1β[IL-1β], tumor necrosis factor-α[TNF-α], interleukin-8[IL-8], interleukin-10[IL-10]) in liver, spleen, kidney and intestine of C. argus. These results indicated that dietary supplement quercetin could enhance growth, antioxidant capacity, immune response and regulated immune-related genes expression of C. argus, with greatest effects in C. argus given 300 mg kg−1 quercetin for 56 days.