Abstract
Selenium and zinc are important dietary micronutrients having antimicrobial and antioxidant roles, thereby assisting in normal development, and an enhanced immune system. Supplementation of selenium and zinc for enhancing the growth performance and reproductive capacity in fish was explored in this study. Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) and zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) were synthesized by high-energy ball milling (HEBM) using a 10-h dry milling technique at a 10:1 ball-to-powder ratio (BPR) and were premixed with basal feed followed by the administration to adult zebra fish (D. rerio) (2 months old) for 30 days. Growth analysis revealed that zebra fish fed with SeNPs + ZnONPs (2 mg/ kg, equimolar mixture) had significantly higher length and weight than only SeNP (2 mg/ kg) or ZnONP (2 mg/ kg) groups and control zebra fish (p < 0.05). The average length–weight relationships were assessed by estimating the condition factor (C), which was highest in the SeNP + ZnONP group (1.96), followed by a downward trend in SeNP (C = 1.15) and ZnONP (1.11) (p < 0.05). Relative gene expression of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1 was significantly high in the SeNP + ZnONP group compared to other groups (p < 0.05), which indicated that combined administration of both the nanoparticles in basal feed enhanced the growth performance of zebra fish. Intracellular ROS generation was low in the combined group, followed by control, SeNP, and ZnONP groups, indicating higher concentrations of both nanoparticles, in particular, ZnONPs induced oxidative stress. Fecundity and the development of fertilized embryos were significantly high in the SeNP + ZnONP–treated zebra fish compared to only the SeNP- or ZnONP-treated group or control (p < 0.05). These findings indicated that supplementation of SeNP + ZnONP in basal feed could considerably improve the growth performance and development of zebra fish which could be exploited for enhancing aquaculture production.
Highlights
The use of nanotechnology for the enhancement of agriculture and its allied fields, such as aquaculture, has been enormous in recent time (Fasil et al, 2020)
The current study showed that the combined administration of Selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) + zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) could lead to enhanced growth performance and improved development in zebra fish, whereas single administration of either nanoparticle results in subtle growth, increased oxidative stress, and reduced growth-related gene expression
Adult zebra fish growth performance was significantly enhanced by the administration of SeNPs and ZnONPs as revealed by the increased growth analysis parameters, such as Fulton’s condition factor, which was observed to be highest in the combined group and lowest in the control group
Summary
The use of nanotechnology for the enhancement of agriculture and its allied fields, such as aquaculture, has been enormous in recent time (Fasil et al, 2020). The role of nano-biotechnology for the improvement and enhancement of quality and yield of aquaculture products is enormous. Nanomaterials such as nano-micronutrients are being provided as feed supplements to fish and have been shown to improve productivity and growth performance compared to bulk feed, for example, nFe, nSe, nAg, and nZnO (Khosravi-Katuli et al, 2017). The unique benefits of using nano-micronutrients are greater bioavailability and easy absorption through the microscopic cellular membranes and organelles, thereby enhancing utilization and promoting the cellular functions, compared to bulk-sized micronutrients. Selenium is a unique trace mineral that plays an important role in maintaining the development and immune status of organisms (Ellis et al, 2004; Vicenti et al, 2018). Deficiency of Se can result in various complications, including cancer, Kashin–Beck disease (a form of heart disease), fatigue, stunted growth, high cholesterol, compromised immune system function, liver impairment, pancreatic insufficiency, thyroid hormone imbalance, and sterility
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