The effects of dietary tributyrin on growth, intestinal health, inflammatory response and antioxidant status in juvenile yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco)

Abstract

The effects of dietary tributyrin (TB) on growth, intestinal health, inflammatory response and antioxidant status in juvenile Pelteobagrus fulvidraco were investigated. The fish (initial weight 5.53 ± 0.02 g) were fed with diets containing 0 (control, TB0), 500 (TB1), 1000 (TB2) and 2000 (TB3) mg/kg tributyrin for 56 days. The results showed that significantly higher final weight, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio and protein retention were observed in fish fed with TB2 diet compared with those in TB0 (P < 0.05). Significantly higher lipid retention, whole-body fat content, intraperitoneal fat weight, intraperitoneal fat index and intestine length index were found in TB2 than that in TB3 (P < 0.05). Intestinal length, weight, villus length, muscular thickness, intestosomatic index and intestinal activities of trypsin, lipase, alkaline phosphatase, Na+/K+-ATPase in TB1 or TB2 were significantly higher than those in TB0 (P < 0.05). The fish fed with TB2 or TB3 diet had significantly lower intestinal interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, tumou necrosis factor-α, malondialdehyde contents and significantly higher hepatic glutathione, superoxide dismutase activities than those in TB0 (P < 0.05). Compared with TB0, the relative expressions of claudin-1, zomula occludens protein-1, occludin, lipoprotein lipase and fatty acid synthase were significantly increased in TB1, TB2 and TB3 (P < 0.05). Together, 1000 mg/kg TB improved growth and lipid deposition, but decreased inflammatory response, probably through modulating tight junction proteins and lipid metabolism related genes expression and activating antioxidant system.