Growth Of Large Yellow Croaker Research Articles

A multi-omics approach reveals the changes in the gut microbiome and metabolism of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea) by dietary supplementation with Bacillus

The intestine serves as the primary site for nutrient absorption in animals. Research in gut biology is increasingly focused on understanding its correlation with the microbiome, specifically by employing probiotics in diets to enhance gut health and stimulate animal growth. In this study, we isolated two Bacillus species (Bacillus halophilus and Lysinibacillus sphaericus) from the intestinal tract of a large yellow croaker and investigated their roles as dietary supplements, assessing their impact on intestinal microbial composition and their efficacy in large yellow croaker growth and immunity. These functions are intrinsically linked to the growth and immune response of large yellow croaker. Our investigation included a comprehensive analysis of various omics results derived from intestinal content samples, encompassing 16S rRNA sequencing and non-targeted metabolomics. These analyses were combined with assessments of differences in immune functionalities observed in the liver and head kidney, aiming to understand the interaction between the two Bacillus species, intestinal microorganisms, and host metabolism. Our findings demonstrated several significant outcomes: (1) Supplementation with two Bacillus species induced considerable alterations in the intestinal microbiome, particularly in the suppression of Vibrionaceae among juvenile large yellow croaker. (2) The influence of pathogenic bacteria such as Vibrio on intestinal health is not solely associated with their characteristics but also closely linked to their relative abundance in the intestine. (3) Distinct dietary groups further influenced changes in the metabolome profile by impacting the intestinal microbiota structure in juvenile large yellow croaker, thereby influencing various metabolites such as amino acids, terpenes, bile acids, and steroids. (4) Differences in the composition of intestinal microbiota among different feed types significantly affected individual antioxidant functionalities, impacting the morphology and immune capabilities of immune organs like the liver. Exploring intricate host-microbiome interactions using multi-omics approaches can provide a better assessment of probiotics' functional potential. Our results revealed that Lysinibacillus sphaericus enhanced intestinal development, increased antioxidant enzyme activity, and facilitated the growth of large yellow croaker.

Dietary Oryzanol (Ory) Improved the Survival and Growth of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea) Larvae via Promoting Activities of Digestive Enzymes, Antioxidant Capacity, and Lipid Metabolism

Dietary Oryzanol (Ory) Improved the Survival and Growth of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea) Larvae via Promoting Activities of Digestive Enzymes, Antioxidant Capacity, and Lipid Metabolism

Dietary polystyrene nanoplastics exposure alters liver lipid metabolism and muscle nutritional quality in carnivorous marine fish large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

Nanoplastics (NPs) cause various adverse effects on marine fish. However, effects of dietary NPs exposure on liver lipid metabolism and muscle nutritional quality of carnivorous marine fish are not fully understood. In this study, a 21-day feeding test was conducted to simulate the food chain transfer of polystyrene nanoplastics (PS NPs) and then evaluate effects of different dietary PS NPs levels on the survival, growth performance, liver lipid metabolism, and muscle nutritional quality of large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea. Results indicated that the survival and growth of large yellow croaker decreased with the increase of PS NPs levels. Moreover, PS NPs induced excessive liver lipid accumulation by down-regulating the expression of lipolysis-related genes and inhibiting the AMPK-PPARα signaling pathway. In vitro, PS NPs could be accumulated in hepatocytes, reduce cell viability, and disrupt lipid metabolism of hepatocytes. Also, we found for the first time that PS NPs altered fatty acid composition and texture of fish muscle by enhancing oxidative stress and disrupting lipid metabolism. Overall, this study indicated that PS NPs induced liver lipid deposition by inhibiting lipolysis, and demonstrated that PS NPs altered the nutritional quality of fish, which might cause potential health effects for human consumers.

Dietary Allicin Improved the Survival and Growth of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea) Larvae via Promoting Intestinal Development, Alleviating Inflammation and Enhancing Appetite.

A 30-day feeding experiment was conducted to investigate effects of dietary allicin on survival, growth, antioxidant capacity, innate immunity and expression of inflammatory and appetite related genes in large yellow croaker larvae. Four iso-nitrogenous (53% crude protein) and iso-lipidic (19% crude lipid) diets were formulated via supplementing graded levels of allicin (0.0 (the control), 0.005, 0.01, and 0.02% dry diet, respectively). Results showed that, among dietary treatments, larvae fed the diet with 0.005% allicin had the highest survival rate (SR) (P < 0.05), while larvae fed the diet with 0.01% allicin had the highest specific growth rate (SGR) (P < 0.05). Activities of α-amylase in both pancreatic (PS) and intestine segments (IS) of larvae fed the diet with 0.01% allicin were significantly lower than that in the control (P < 0.05). On the other hand, the supplementation of 0.01% allicin in diets significantly increased activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) in the intestinal brush border membrane (BBM) of larvae than the control (P < 0.05), indicating the promoting roles of allicin on fish larval intestinal development. Moreover, compared to the control, both the nitric oxide (NO) content and the activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were significantly up-regulated in larvae fed the diet with 0.005% allicin, and catalase (CAT) were significantly upregulated in larvae fed the diet with 0.02% allicin (P < 0.05). Transcriptional levels of pro-inflammatory genes including cyclooxygenase-2 (cox-2), interleukin-1β (il-1β) and interleukin-6 (il-6) significantly decreased with increasing allicin, compared to the control. The expression of appetite genes including npy, ghrelin and leptin significantly increased with the prolonged fasting period, and dietary allicin supplementation significantly increased the transcriptional level of neuropeptide Y (npy) at 0.01%, while increased the transcriptional level of leptin in larvae at 0.02% dosages (P < 0.05). These results showed that the supplementation of 0.005% – 0.01% allicin in diets could improve the survival and growth of large yellow croaker larvae probably by promoting intestinal development, alleviating inflammation and enhancing appetite.

Optimal amounts of coconut oil in diets improve the growth, antioxidant capacity and lipid metabolism of large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of different dietary coconut oil (CO) levels on growth, antioxidant capacity and lipid metabolism of juvenile large yellow croaker (Larimichthys crocea). Five iso-nitrogen (45% crude protein) and iso-lipid (13% crude lipid) experimental diets were prepared by replacing 0% (the control), 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% fish oil with coconut oil. The results showed that dietary CO had no significant effect on survival rate (SR, P > 0.05). However, the specific growth rate was increased significantly when compared with the control group when fish were fed the diet with 50% CO (P < 0.05). The saturated fatty acids were increased significantly with increasing dietary CO in the liver and muscle, whereas the content of n-3 PUFA was decreased significantly (P < 0.05). The highest activities of glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase in the liver were recorded in fish-fed diet with 50% CO; conversely, the content of malondialdehyde was significantly decreased (P < 0.05). The mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α, carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 and acyl-CoA oxidase reached the highest levels in fish-fed diet with 50% CO. To some extent, this indicated that the rapid oxidation reaction of fatty acids to provide energy may be the reason for the rapid growth of large yellow croaker. In conclusion, fish-fed diet with 50% CO increased the growth rate and antioxidant capacity. Therefore, the optimal replacement level of CO to FO in the diet should be 50%.

Effects of dietary vitamin E and astaxanthin on growth, skin colour and antioxidative capacity of large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea

A 10-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary vitamin E and astaxanthin on growth performance, skin colour and antioxidative capacity of large yellow croaker Larimichthys crocea. Six practical diets were formulated in a 2 × 3 factorial design to supplement with two levels of astaxanthin (25 and 50 mg/kg) and three levels of vitamin E (0, 120 and 800 mg/kg). The results showed that both the highest final body weight and specific growth rate were found in fish fed diets with 120 mg/kg vitamin E supplementation. No significant differences were found in survival rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio among all the treatments (p > .05). Skin lightness (L*) was not significantly affected by dietary treatments (p > .05). Ventral skin redness (a*) of fish fed diet with 25 mg/kg astaxanthin and 0 mg/kg vitamin E supplementation was significantly lower than that of fish fed with other diets. Yellowness (b*) and carotenoid contents both in the dorsal and in the ventral skin were found to be significantly increased with increasing dietary astaxanthin or vitamin E (p .05). The vitamin E content in liver reflected the dietary vitamin E content. Level of vitamin E content in fish fed diets with 800 mg/kg vitamin E supplementation was significantly higher than that in fish fed with the other diets (p < .05). Liver superoxide dismutase activity and thiobarbituric acid reactive substance levels were found to be decreased with increasing dietary astaxanthin and vitamin E levels, respectively. Levels of reduced glutathione in the liver were found to be increased with increasing dietary vitamin E contents. The total antioxidative capacity in the liver was found to be decreased with increasing dietary vitamin E or astaxanthin contents. In conclusion, adequate dietary vitamin E can improve the growth of large yellow croaker, and the supplementation of astaxanthin and vitamin E benefited the skin coloration and antioxidative capacity of large yellow croaker.

Effect of dietary olaquindox on the growth of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea R.) and the distribution of its residues in fish tissues

Olaquindox (OLA), one of quinoxaline-N, N-dioxides, has been put under ban. However it was used as a medicinal feed additive early; it promotes the growth of livestock and prevents them from dysentery and bacterial enteritis. In this study, we evaluated the effect of dietary OLA on the growth of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea R.) and the histological distribution of OLA and its metabolite 3-methyl-quinoxaline-2-carboxylic acid (MQCA) in fish tissues. Four diets containing 0 (control), 42.5, 89.5 and 277.2 mg kg−1 OLA, respectively, were formulated and tested, 3 cages (1.0 m × 1.0 m × 1.5 m) each diet and 100 juveniles (9.75 ± 0.35 g) each cage. The fish were fed to satiation twice a day at 05:00 am and 17:00 pm for 8 weeks. The survival rate of fish fed the diet containing 42.5 and 89.5 mg kg−1 OLA was significantly higher than that of fish fed the diet containing 0 and 277.2 mg kg−1 OLA (P < 0.05), while the weight gain rate of fish fed the diet containing 42.5 and 89.5 mg·kg−1 OLA was significantly higher than that of fish fed the diet without OLA (control) (P<0.05), but similar to that of fish fed the diet with 277.2 mg kg−1 OLA. Fish fed the diet with 277.2 mg kg−1 OLA had the highest content of OLA and MQCA in liver (3.44 and 0.39 mg kg−1, respectively), skin (0.46 and 0.09 mg kg−1, respectively) and muscle (0.24 and 0.06 mg kg−1, respectively). In average, fish fed the diet containing OLA had the highest content of OLA and MQCA in liver which was followed by skin and muscle (P < 0.05), whereas OLA and MQCA were not detectable in control. Our findings demonstrated that OLA and MQCA accumulated in large yellow croaker when it was fed with the diet containing OLA, thus imposing a potential safety risk to human health.

Dietary Histidine Requirement for Juvenile Large Yellow Croaker, Pseudosciaena crocea R.

Dietary histidine requirements for large yellow croaker (initial average weight, 6.0 ± 0.10 g) were quantified by feeding isonitrogenous (crude protein 44%) and isocaloric (20 KJ/g) amino acid test diets with graded levels of histidine [0.45% (D1), 0.66% (D2), 0.78% (D3), 0.98% (D4), 1.24% (D5) and 1.40% (D6) of dry diet]. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate floating sea cages (1.0 × 1.0 × 1.5 m), 60 fish/cage. At the end of the 51 day experiment, the final weight (FW) and weight gain (WG) of large yellow croaker showed a positive correlation to increasing dietary histidine content (up to 0.78%), and thereafter declined. The growth of fish fed the D6 diet was significantly lower than fish maintained on the D2 and D3 diets; however, there were no significant differences in the growth of large yellow croaker among all the dietary treatments except D6. Fish fed the D3 diet had the highest FW and WG. The shift in feed efficiency (FE) values of fish fed D1 to D5 diets increased as dietary histidine content increased, and significantly decreased in fish fed the D6 diet. Based on the second-degree polynomial regression analyses of the growth data, optimum histidine requirement for juvenile large yellow croaker was 8.7 g/kg dry diet, (18.8 g/kg–20.8 g/kg of dietary protein within 95% confidence interval).

Optimal dietary lipid level for large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) larvae

A 30-day feeding experiment was conducted in blue tanks (70 × 50 × 60 cm, water volume 180 L) to determine the effects of dietary lipid levels on the survival, growth and body composition of large yellow croaker (Pseudosciaena crocea) larvae (12 days after hatchery, with initial average weight 1.93 ± 0.11 mg). Five practical microdiets, containing 83 g kg−1 (Diet 1), 126 g kg−1 (Diet 2), 164 g kg−1 (Diet 3), 204 g kg−1 (Diet 4) and 248 g kg−1 lipid (Diet 5), were formulated. Live feeds (Artemia sinicia nauplii and live copepods) were used as the control diet (Diet 6). Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of tanks, and each tank was stocked with 3500 larvae. During the experiment, water temperature was maintained at 23(±1) °C, pH 8.0 (±0.2) and salinity 25 (±2) g L−1. The results showed that dietary lipid significantly influenced the survival and growth of large yellow croaker larvae. Survival increased with the increase of dietary lipid from 83 to 164 g kg−1, and then decreased. The survival of larvae fed the diet with 83 g kg−1 lipid (16.1%) was significantly lower than that of larvae fed other diets. However, the survival in larvae fed the diet with 16.4 g kg−1 lipid was the highest compared with other artificial microdiets. Specific growth rate (SGR) significantly increased with increasing dietary lipid level from 83 to 164 g kg−1 (P < 0.05), and then decreased. The SGR in larvae fed the diet with 164 g kg−1 lipid (10.0% per day) was comparable with 204 g kg−1 lipid (9.6% per day), but were significantly higher than other microdiets (P < 0.05). On the basis of survival and SGR, the optimum dietary lipid level was estimated to be 172 and 177 g kg−1 of diet using second-order polynomial regression analysis respectively.

Dietary phosphorus requirement of large yellow croaker, Pseudosciaena crocea R

A study was conducted to estimate the optimum requirement of dietary phosphorus for large yellow croaker in floating sea cages (1.0 × 1.0 × 1.5 m). Five practical diets were formulated to contain graded levels (0.30%, 0.55%, 0.69%, 0.91% and 1.16%) of available phosphorus from dietary ingredients and monocalcium phosphate (MCP). Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 180 juvenile fish (initial body weight, 1.88 ± 0.02 g). Fish were fed twice daily (5:00 and 17:00) to satiation for 8 weeks. During the experimental period, the water temperature fluctuated from 26.5 to 32.5 °C, salinity from 32‰ to 36‰ and dissolved oxygen was more than 7 mg l − 1 . Specific growth rate (SGR) significantly increased with increasing available phosphorus from 0.30% to 0.69% of diet ( P < 0.05), and then leveled off. The body composition analysis showed that the whole-body ash and lipid, as well as phosphorus content in the whole body, vertebrae and scales were significantly affected by dietary available phosphorus level ( P < 0.05). Broken-line analysis based on SGR indicated the minimum available phosphorus requirement for the optimal growth of large yellow croaker was 0.70%. Based on the phosphorus content in either vertebrae or whole body, the requirements were 0.89% and 0.91%, respectively.