Grape seed proanthocyanidins alleviate the negative effects of dietary cadmium on pearl gentian grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus female x Epinephelus lanceolatus male)

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate whether grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSPs) could alleviate the negative effects of dietary cadmium on growth performance, body composition, activities of digestive enzymes, and antioxidant potential in the intestine of pearl gentian grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus female x Epinephelus lanceolatus male). Two hundred and forty pearl gentian groupers with the initial average body weight of 31.30±0.05 g/fish were randomly divided into four treatment groups with three replicates in each group and 20 fish in each replicate. The four treatment groups were identified as control group (the basal diet), Cd group (the basal diet+300 mg/kg Cd), Cd+GSPs group I (the basal diet+300 mg/kg Cd+400 mg/kg GSPs), and Cd+GSPs group II (the basal diet+300 mg/kg Cd+800 mg/kg GSPs group), respectively. The trial lasted for 42 days. Fish exposed to 300 mg/kg dietary cadmium had lower growth performance, mineral metabolism disorders with lower calcium and phosphorus levels, higher ash level, decreased lipase and protease activities, and antioxidant potential in the intestine. Dietary GSPs supplementation could counteract those negative effects to a certain extent. The alleviation effects of Cd+GSPs group II were better than those of Cd+GSPs group I. Except for calcium and phosphorus levels in whole fish composition, 800 mg/kg dietary GSPs supplementation could not recover the adverse effects caused by Cd stress. These results suggested that GSPs might potentially mediate dietary cadmium toxicity and alleviate the negative effects on pearl gentian grouper.