Highest Specific Growth Rate Research Articles

Dietary Histidine Supplementation Maintained Amino Acid Homeostasis and Reduced Hepatic Lipid Accumulation of Juvenile Largemouth Bass, Micropterus Salmoides.

This 56-day research aimed to evaluate the recommended histidine requirement and the influence of dietary histidine levels on the protein and lipid metabolism of juvenile largemouth bass (Mieropterus salmoides). The initial weight of the largemouth bass was 12.33 ± 0.01 g, which was fed with six graded levels of histidine. The results showed that appropriate dietary histidine had a positive effect on growth, with a higher specific growth rate, final weight, weight gain rate, protein efficiency rate, and a lower feed conversion rate and feed intake rate being observed in 1.08-1.48% dietary histidine groups. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of GH, IGF-1, TOR, and S6 showed an increasing trend first and then declined, similar to the trend of the growth and protein content of the whole body composition. Meanwhile, dietary histidine levels could be sensed by the AAR signaling pathway, representing as downregulation of core genes of AAR signaling pathway with the increased dietary histidine levels, including GCN2, eIF2α, CHOP, ATF4, and REDD1. In addition, increased dietary histidine levels decreased the lipid content of the whole body and the liver by upregulating the mRNA levels of core genes of the PPARα signaling pathways, including PPARα, CPT1, L-FABP, and PGC1α. However, increased dietary histidine levels downregulated the mRNA levels of core genes of the PPARγ signaling pathways such as PPARγ, FAS, ACC, SREBP1, and ELOVL2. These findings were also supported by the positive area ratio of hepatic oil red O staining and the TC content of plasma. According to the specific growth rate and feed conversion rate, the recommended histidine requirement of juvenile largemouth bass was 1.26% of the diet (2.68% of dietary protein) by regression lines calculated using a quadratic model. In general, histidine supplementation promoted protein synthesis and lipid decomposition and reduced lipid synthesis by activating the TOR, AAR, PPARα, and PPARγ signaling pathways, which provided a new perspective to solve the fatty liver problem of largemouth bass by nutritional means.

Tumor Specific Growth Rate as a Predictor of Outcomes in Oligo-Progressive Disease Treated with Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy

<h3>Purpose/Objective(s)</h3> Histologic classification alone does not fully represent the distribution of tumor behaviors due to within histology heterogeneity. The aim of this study is to assess the variation and the impact of pre- and post- tumor specific growth rate (SGR) on outcomes of metastatic patients with oligo-progressive (OP) disease treated with SBRT. <h3>Materials/Methods</h3> Patients with known metastatic disease and ≤3 radiologically OP were enrolled in a prospective phase II study. For the purpose of this analysis, treated metastases were retrospectively contoured on pre-SBRT diagnostic images (GTV1 - within 3-months), at time of SBRT (GTV2) and post-SBRT (GTV3 -within 3-months). SGR was calculated using the time interval (t=days) and volume changes (GTVx/GTVy) for each metastasis (<i>ln</i>(GTV2/GTV1)/t). Pre-SBRT growth (SGR1) was defined as <i>GTV2 – GTV1</i>, and post-SBRT (SGR2) as <i>GTV3 – GTV2</i>. High SGR was defined as greater than the median SGR value for each population. Progression was defined as local failure (LF) or distant progression. The impact of SGR1 and SGR2 (as continuous variables) on LF and progression was evaluated using a subdistribution hazards model to account for the competing risk of death. Cox Proportional Hazard was used to assess the association of SGR1 and SGR2 with overall survival (OS). For patients with multiple lesions, the highest SGR was used for progression and OS analyses. <h3>Results</h3> Thirty-five patients with 55 metastases from breast (29%), gastro-intestinal (GI) (40%) and genito-urinary (GU) (31%) cancers were analyzed. Median follow-up was 11.74 (interquartile range (IQR): 8.05-15.65 months). The median volume of GTV1, GTV2 and GTV3 was 3.91 (IQR 0.94 - 6.71)cc, 7.68 (IQR 2.04-15.43)cc and 2.72 (IQR 0.8-8.08)cc respectively. Median SGR1 and SGR2 was 0.007 (IQR 0.004 - 0.013) and -0.009 (IQR -0.01 to -0.002), with median SGR1/SGR2 per histology 0.005 (IQR 0.003 - 0.007)/-0.010 (IQR -0.019 to -0.006) breast, 0.011 (IQR 0.007 - 0.014)/-0.010 (IQR-0.013 to -0.002) GI and 0.006 (IQR 0.001 - 0.015)/-0.009 (IQR-0.012 to -0.001) GU. There was no statistically significant difference seen between histologies and SGR1 (p 0.15) and SGR2 (p 0.98). 48% of cases had a high SGR1 and 50% a high SGR2. At 12 months the LF and distant progression was11% and 76.8% respectively, while the probability of OS was 59%. There was a trend significant association between SGR1 and the probability of progression (p 0.055) while no significant association was found with the LF (p 0.28) or OS (p=0.35). Patients with low vs. high SGR1 had a higher probability of being alive but the difference did not reach statistical significance [SGR1 71% vs. 47% (p 0.35)]. SGR2 did not have a significant impact LF (p=0.59) or OS (p 0.39). <h3>Conclusion</h3> Lower SGR measurements seems to have better response after SBRT and may be used in the future for patient selection. These findings require validation in a larger cohort.

English

The potential of irrigation reservoirs in northern Ghana to support Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) production in 1 m3 budget cages was assessed over six-months in three reservoirs (Bontanga, Golinga and Libga). Fingerlings with a mean weight of 17.0 &plusmn; 5.0 g were randomly stocked at 50, 100, 150, 200 and 250 fish per cage in duplicate and fed with a commercial tilapia feed (Raanan, 30% protein level) at 3 to 5% body weight. The results indicated that the lower densities (50 and 100 fish m-3) had a higher specific growth rate (SGR) compared to higher densities (150-250 fish m-3). The gross yield (7.5&ndash;23.1 kg cage-1) differed with increasing density on all reservoirs. Consumers in the Tamale Metropolis preferred small sized tilapias (5-6 fish kg-1) and were willing to pay US$ 1.40-2.34 kg-1 of fish, while restaurants preferred 2-3 fish kg-1 and were willing to pay US$ 3.27- 3.51 kg-1. The 200 fish m-3 stocking density was the most profitable and is recommended for cage culture on reservoirs in northern Ghana. Key words: Cage culture, growth performance, consumer preferences, Nile tilapia, reservoirs.

Optimization of CO2 Supply for the Intensive Cultivation of Chlorella sorokiniana IPPAS C-1 in the Laboratory and Pilot-Scale Flat-Panel Photobioreactors.

Microalgae are increasingly being used for capturing carbon dioxide and converting it into valuable metabolites and biologically active compounds on an industrial scale. The efficient production of microalgae biomass requires the optimization of resources, including CO2. Here, we estimated the productivity of Chlorella sorokiniana IPPAS C-1 depending on CO2 concentrations and the ventilation coefficient of the gas-air mixture (GAM) in flat-panel photobioreactors (FP-PBRs) at laboratory (5 L) and pilot (18 L) scales. For the laboratory scale, the PBRs operated at 900 µmol quanta m−2 s−1 and 35.5 ± 0.5 °C; the optimal CO2 flow rate was estimated at 3 mL CO2 per 1 L of suspension per minute, which corresponds to 1.5% CO2 in the GAM and an aeration rate of 0.2 vvm. These parameters, being scaled up within the pilot PBRs, resulted in a high specific growth rate (µ ≈ 0.1 h−1) and high specific productivity (Psp ≈ 1 g dw L−1 d−1). The principles of increasing the efficiency of the intensive cultivation of C. sorokiniana IPPAS C-1 are discussed. These principles are relevant for the development of technological regimes for the industrial production of Chlorella in flat-panel PBRs of various sizes.

Modulation of growth, immune response, and immune-antioxidant related gene expression of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) reared under biofloc system using mango peel powder

This study aimed to investigate the effects of mango peel powder (MGPP) on growth, innate immunity, and immune-antioxidant related gene expression of Nile tilapia reared under biofloc system. Three hundred Nile tilapia (average weight 14.78 ± 0.05 g) were distributed into 15 fiber tanks (300 L per tank) assigned to five treatments in triplication. Fish were fed basal diet containing different levels MGPP as follows: 0 (MGPP0: control), 6.25 (MGPP 6.25), 12.5 (MGPP 12.25), 25 (MGPP 25), and 50 (MGPP 50) g kg−1 diet for 8 weeks. Specific growth rate (SGR), weight gain (WG), final weight (FW), feed conversion ratio (FCR), skin mucus of lysozyme (SMLA), and peroxidase activities (SMPA), serum of lysozyme (SL) and peroxidase (SP) were measured every for weeks; while immune-antioxidant-related gene expressions were determined after 8 weeks post-feeding. The results indicated that MGPP 25 diet resulted in higher SGR, WG, FW, and FCR but no significant differences among treatments were noticed. In terms of immune responses, lysozyme and peroxidase activities in mucus and serum were significantly higher in MGPP 12.5 and MGPP 25 diets against the control. Similarly, significant up-regulation of IL-1 and IL-8 gene expressions was observed in fish fed MGPP 25 against the control. However, no significant differences in LBP, GSTa, GPX, and GSR among treatments were observed. Overall, dietary inclusion of MGPP 25 significantly enhanced immune response and immune related gene expressions but not growth performance and antioxidant gene expressions. The results implied that MGPP can be potentially used as an immunostimulants in Nile tilapia culture.

Evaluation of optimum dietary protein requirement for maximum growth of common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) fingerlings

A 90-day feeding trial was carried out to investigate the effect of varying dietary protein on growth performance, health status, intestinal enzyme activity, carcass composition and intestinal histomorphology of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) fingerlings for defining the optimum dietary protein. Five groups were fed with different crude protein content: T1 (36%), T2 (38%), T3 (40%), T4 (42%) and T5 (44%). Each group was run in triplicate with 10 fingerlings per tank. The group fed with 38% crude protein showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher specific growth rate, daily weight gain, weight gain percentage and low feed conversion ratio as compared to groups which had a protein content lesser/higher than 38%. The body composition and digestive enzyme activity were significantly higher in T2 followed by T1 (36%). The excretion of total ammonia and orthophosphate was also lowest in T2. The intestinal histomorphology examination revealed significantly increased absorptive area in T2 compared to other treatment groups. The findings indicate that optimum amount of dietary protein is crucial for achieving maximum growth, and feeding fish with diet containing excess or lesser than optimum protein content leads to lesser growth besides more excretion thereby affecting the quality of water.

Estimation of the Optimum Dietary Protein to Lipid Ratio in Juvenile Pengze Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus Var. Pengze)

An 8-week feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of dietary protein to lipid ratio on fish growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, body composition, serum biochemistry, immunity, and antioxidant capacity of Carassius auratus var. Pengze juveniles. Nine experimental diets were formulated in a 3 × 3 factorial design to contain three protein levels (30%, 35%, and 40%) and three lipid levels (5%, 8%, and 11%), with protein-to-energy (P/E) ratios ranging 19.2–27.1 mg/kJ and named as Diet 1 (30/5), Diet 2 (30/8), Diet 3 (30/11), Diet 4 (35/5), Diet 5 (35/8), Diet 6 (35/11), Diet 7 (40/5), Diet 8 (40/8), and Diet 9 (40/11), respectively. Each diet was randomly assigned to triplicate groups of 20 fish per cylindrical fiberglass tank. The fish fed with Diet 4 had the highest specific growth rate (SGR) among the 9 groups. The whole-body lipid content increased significantly with increasing dietary lipid levels regardless of dietary protein content ( P &lt; 0.05 ), whereas moisture content showed an opposite trend ( P &lt; 0.05 ). The highest values of activities of serum lysozyme (LZM) and alkaline phosphatase (AKP) were detected in the fish fed Diet 4 (35/5), whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) was lowest in the fish fed Diet 4. In addition, serum total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) were the lowest, while high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C) and high-density lipoprotein to total cholesterol ratio (HDL-C/TC) were the highest in the Diet 4 group. The results indicate that a combination of 35.1% protein and 5.1% lipid with dietary CP/GE (mg/kJ) ratio of 24.0 is optimal for the culture of Carassius auratus var. Pengze juveniles.

Effects of Dietary American Cockroach Periplaneta americana Meal Inclusion on the Growth Performance, Antioxidant Capacity, and Immunity of Juvenile Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss

A feeding trial was conducted to assess the effects of dietary American cockroach Periplaneta americana meal (PAM) inclusion on the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of juvenile rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss. Five isonitrogenous and isolipidic diets were formulated to contain 100, 150, 200, 250, and 300 g/kg PAM (defined as PAM100-PAM300), respectively. The final body weight and weight gain rate of PAM250 were significantly higher than those of PAM100 and PAM150, and a higher specific growth rate was recorded in PAM200-PAM300. The highest levels of liver alanine aminotransferase and serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) as well as serum total amino acids were detected in PAM150, while higher levels of liver AST and serum total protein were detected in PAM200-PAM300. The liver lipase activity of PAM150, PAM200, and PAM300 was significantly higher than that of PAM100. The liver glucose content in PAM150 was significantly higher than that in PAM250-PAM300. The highest liver catalase, alkaline phosphatase (AKP), and lysozyme activities were detected in PAM300; the lowest liver malondialdehyde content was detected in PAM250, while the highest serum total antioxidant capacity, catalase, and total superoxide dismutase activities were detected in PAM250. The highest serum AKP and acid phosphatase activities were detected in PAM150, while higher serum IgM and complement C3 contents were detected in PAM200-PAM300. In conclusion, dietary PAM inclusion at 200-300 g/kg could improve the growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and immunity of juvenile O. mykiss.

Periphyton: A natural fish food item for replacement of feed at optimized substrate surface area for cost-effective production in brackishwater polyculture

Periphyton community grown on submerged substrate in water could serve as a preferred natural food item to herbivorous and omnivorous fish and crustacean species. To determine the optimum substrate area for the growth of periphyton biomass serving as natural food and to reduce the requirement of pellet feed quantity, a 150-day pond experiment was conducted with four treatments of brackishwater polyculture: total feeding and no periphyton substrate (P0), and partial feeding with periphyton grown on nylon net substrate equivalent to 50 (P50), 75 (P75) and 100 (P100) % of pond surface area. Each treatment had three randomly assigned replicate ponds (50 m2). After 15 days of substrate fixation in the surface layer of ponds up to 50 cm water depth, stocking was made with seeds of Mugil cephalus Linnaeus, 1758, Planiliza parsia (Hamilton, 1822), Chanos chanos (Forsskål, 1775) and Penaeus monodon Fabricius, 1798 at 1800, 18000, 2000 and 30,000 number ha−1, respectively. A low-cost pellet feed (30.76% crude protein) was provided at 6–3% of fish biomass per day. Dry matter (DM) of periphyton biomass was estimated from each replicate pond under P50, P75 and P100 from 15 × 15 cm2 net substrate, and then total periphyton DM was calculated according to the substrate surface area at 15-day intervals. Then, the total periphyton biomass was divided to find out daily DM availability. The feed amount in P50, P75 and P100 ponds was reduced proportionately to the equivalent daily periphyton DM availability and the feeding at this reduced quantity was continued for 15 days. The experiment revealed significantly lower levels of nitrogenous and phosphorus compounds, and dissolved organic carbon content in water of P75 and P100, compared to that of P0 and P50 (P < 0.05) and there were interaction effects of experimental period and periphyton substrate area on these parameters. All the species had an increasing growth pattern with experimental period and there was an interaction effect of experimental period and periphyton substrate area on growth of these species, indicating periphyton had positive effects. The highest specific growth rate was recorded in P. monodon and the lowest was in M. cephalus. Pooled survival of fishes and shrimp, and total productivity did not differ among treatments (P > 0.05). Although, the highest level of feed reduction (42%) by the utilization of periphyton biomass was in P100, P75 performed better in terms of productivity and economic return with 30% feed reduction in polyculture. Similarly, there was 26–41% reduction in feed conversion ratio with the highest level being in P100 (41%), followed by P75 (40%) in comparison to P0. Moreover, carcass composition of cultured fishes and shrimp indicated that periphyton based systems with partial feeding could meet up the nutrient requirement of the animals with no negative effects in comparison to the feed-based system. Therefore, this study suggests that provision of periphyton substrate equivalent to 75% of pond surface area along with partial feeding is the most appropriate approach for achieving higher return with environmental sustainability in brackishwater polyculture.

Controlling Specific Growth Rate for Recombinant Protein Production by Pichia pastoris Under Oxidation Stress in Fed-batch Fermentation.

Methanol can be used by Pichia pastoris as the carbon source and inducer to produce recombinant proteins in high-cell-density fermentations. However, methanol oxidation at high specific growth rates can lead to the reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, resulting in cell damage. Here, we study the relationship between methanol feeding and ROS accumulation by controlling specific growth rate during the induction phase. A higher specific growth rate increased the level of ROS accumulation caused by methanol oxidation. While the cell growth rate was proportional to specific growth rate, maximum total protein production and highest enzyme activity were achieved at a specific growth rate of 0.05 1/h as compared to that of 0.065 1/h. Moreover, oxidative damage induced by over-accumulation of ROS in P. pastoris during the methanol induction phase caused cell death and reduced protein expression ability. ROS scavenging system analysis revealed that the higher specific growth rate, especially 0.065 1/h, resulted in increased intracellular catalase activity and decreased glutathione content significantly. Finally, Spearman's correlation analysis further revealed that the reduced glutathione might be beneficial for maintaining cell viability and increasing protein production under oxidative stress caused by ROS toxic accumulation. Our findings suggest an integrated strategy to control the feeding of the essential substrate based on analyzing its response to oxidative stress caused by ROS toxic accumulation, as well as develop a strategy to optimize fed-batch fermentation.

Metabolic and Proteomic Analysis of Chlorella sorokiniana, Chloroidium saccharofilum, and Chlorella vulgaris Cells Cultured in Autotrophic, Photoheterotrophic, and Mixotrophic Cultivation Modes.

Chlorella is one of the most well-known microalgal genera, currently comprising approximately a hundred species of single-celled green algae according to the AlgaeBase. Strains of the genus Chlorella have the ability to metabolize both inorganic and organic carbon sources in various trophic modes and synthesize valuable metabolites that are widely used in many industries. The aim of this work was to investigate the impact of three trophic modes on the growth parameters, productivities of individual cell components, and biochemical composition of Chlorella sorokiniana, Chloroidium saccharofilum, and Chlorella vulgaris cells with special consideration of protein profiles detected by SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Mixotrophic conditions with the use of an agro-industrial by-product stimulated the growth of all Chlorella species, which was confirmed by the highest specific growth rates and the shortest biomass doubling times. The mixotrophic cultivation of all Chlorella species yielded a high amount of protein-rich biomass with reduced contents of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoids, and carbohydrates. Additionally, this work provides the first information about the proteome of Chloroidium saccharofilum, Chlorella sorokiniana, and Chlorella vulgaris cells cultured in molasses supplementation conditions. The proteomic analysis of the three Chlorella species growing photoheterotrophically and mixotrophically showed increased accumulation of proteins involved in the cell energy metabolism and carbon uptake, photosynthesis process, and protein synthesis, as well as proteins involved in intracellular movements and chaperone proteins.

A plant-based diet supplemented with Hermetia illucens alone or in combination with poultry by-product meal: one step closer to sustainable aquafeeds for European seabass

BackgroundIncreasing demand for high-value fish species and pressure on forage fish is challenging aquaculture to ensure sustainable growth by replacing protein sources in aquafeeds with plant and terrestrial animal proteins, without compromising the economic value and quality of the final fish product. In the present study, the effects of a plant protein-based diet (CV), two plant-based diets in which graded amounts of plan protein mixtures were replaced with Hermetia illucens meal alone (VH10) or in combination with poultry by-product meal (PBM) (VH10P30), a fishmeal (FM) diet (CF) and an FM diet supplemented with H. illucens (FH10) on growth performance, gut health and homeostasis of farmed subadult European seabass were tested and compared.ResultsFish fed the VH10 and VH10P30 diets showed the highest specific growth rates and lowest feed conversion ratios among the tested groups. Expectedly, the best preservation of PI morphology was observed in fish fed the CF or FH10 diets, while fish fed the CV diet exhibited significant degenerative changes in the proximal and distal intestines. However, PBM supplementation mitigated these effects and significantly improved all gut morphometric parameters in the VH10P30 group. Partial substitution of the plant mixture with insect meal alone or PBM also induced most BBM genes and activated BBM enzymes, suggesting a beneficial effect on intestinal digestive/absorption functions. Regarding intestinal microbiota, fish fed diets containing H. illucens meal (FH10, VH10, VH10P30) had the highest richness of bacterial communities and abundance of beneficial genera such as Lactobacillus and Bacillus. On the other hand, fish fed CV had the highest microbial diversity but lost a significant component of fish intestinal microbiota, the phylum Bacteroidetes. Finally, skin pigmentation most similar to that of farmed or even wild seabass was also observed in the fish groups fed CF, FH10 or VH10P30.ConclusionPlant-based diets supplemented with PBM and H. illucens pupae meal have great potential as alternative diets for European seabass, without affecting growth performance, gut homeostasis, or overall fitness. This also highlights the importance of animal proteins in diets of European seabass, as the addition of a small amount of these alternative animal protein sources significantly improved all measured parameters.

Effects of temperature on parameters of calbasu Labeo calbasu fingerlings at laboratory condition

Temperature is an important environmental factor, plays significant role in the physiology of fish and aquatic ecosystem. In this study, we observed growth, hemato-biochemical parameters and water quality of calbasu, Labeo calbasu exposed to three different temperature regimes, such as 31, 34 and 37 °C respectively for 30 days. Two hundred and twenty fish were used, kept in 9 Aquarium, and were exposed to the different temperature. Highest body weight gain and lowest feed conversion ratio (FCR) was recorded at 31 °C. The highest specific growth rate was recorded at 31 °C followed by 34 °C and 37 °C. Survival at different acclimation temperatures was between 90.00±0.00, 90.0±0.00 and 88.00±0.00%, from lower to higher acclimation temperatures. Dissolved oxygen decreased and free CO2 increased significantly was found the study period. To determine the hemato-biochemical indices-hemoglobin (Hb) and blood glucose levels in the fish at each temperature. Hemoglobin (Hb) significantly decreased in response to temperature increases, while blood glucose levels displayed the opposite response. The present study revealed that high temperatures may be hazardous to Labeo calbasu.

The ability of Pichia kudriavzevii to tolerate multiple stresses makes it promising for developing improved bioethanol production processes.

Thermotolerant ethanol fermenting yeasts have been extensively used in industrial bioethanol production. However, little is known about yeast physiology under stress during bioethanol processing. This study investigated the physiological characteristics of the thermotolerant yeast Pichia kudriavzevii, strains NUNS-4, NUNS-5 and NUNS-6, under the multiple stresses of heat, ethanol and sodium chloride. Results showed that NUNS-4, NUNS-5 and NUNS-6 displayed higher growth rates under each stress condition than the reference strain, Saccharomyces cerevisiae TISTR5606. Maximum specific growth rates under stresses of heat (45°C), 15% v/v ethanol and 1·0 M sodium chloride were 0·23 ± 0·04 (NUNS-4), 0·11 ± 0·01 (NUNS-5) and 0·15 ± 0·01 h-1 (NUNS-5), respectively. Morphological features of all yeast studied changed distinctly with the production of granules and vacuoles when exposed to ethanol, and cells were elongated under increased sodium chloride concentration. This study suggests that the three P. kudriavzevii strains are potential candidates to use in industrial-scale fermentation due to a high specific growth rate under multiple stress conditions. Multiple stress-tolerant P. kudriavzevii NUNS strains have received much attention not only for improving large-scale fuel ethanol production, but also for utilizing these strains in other biotechnological industries.

PERTUMBUHAN IKAN NILA NIRWANA (Oreochromis niloticus) PADA SISTEM BIOFLOK DENGAN SUMBER KARBON EKSTERNAL DARI TEPUNG SORGUM MANIS (Sorghum bicolor)

Biofloc technology (BFT) is an alternative that can be used to provide additional feed source in addition to control and improve water quality for aquaculture. BFT can be done by adding an organic carbon source to increase the C/N ratio in the culture media to stimulate the growth of heterotrophic bacteria. The results of the observation were that the highest specific growth rate was obtained in treatment B (5ml floc) with an average value of 2.80 grams/day. The highest average length value in treatment B (5ml floc) reached 10.26 cm. The highest survival rate was in treatment B (5ml floc) with an average value of 86.78%. The highest efficiency value was found in treatment B (5ml floc) with an average of 95.90%. Based on Duncan's further test (p&lt;0.05) the application of biofloc with an external carbon source from sweet sorghum had a significant effect on the specific growth rate, absolute growth, survival rate and feed efficiency of tilapia fry. Keywords : Biofloc; Sweet Sorghum; Tilapia Nirwana ; Aquacukture

EFFECT OF THE USE OF Gracilaria sp. ON WATER QUALITY, PHYSIOLOGICAL AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF Holothuria scabra IN CULTURE TANK

Sea cucumber Holothuria scabra was reared on a small scale with the addition of seaweed Gracilaria sp. as a phytoremediation agent. This research aimed to determine the effect of Gracilaria sp. on water quality, physiological response, and growth performance of H. scabra. Ten individuals of H. scabra with an initial length of 5 ± 0.09 cm and an initial weight of 7.6 ± 0.2 g were reared in a culture tank (20 cm x 30 cm x 20 cm) with 15 cm of water depth. Gracilaria sp. was floated on the culture tank at three weight levels with three replicates, i.e., low (15 g); medium (30 g); and high seaweed density (45 g), with the control (0 g), during the 30-day rearing period. Results showed no significant difference in water temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), salinity, and total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) between all treatments except for pH. There were no significant differences in ammonia and nitrite concentrations and significant differences in nitrate concentration and total organic matter (TOM) between all treatments and the control. On day 30, the application of Gracilaria sp. exhibited a lower nitrate concentration than the control. Gracilaria sp. maintained the water quality in the culture tank within a tolerable range for H. scabra. On the physiological response of H. scabra, high seaweed density exhibited the lowest blood cholesterol and glucose levels on day 30 and the highest specific growth rate (SGR) in weight (0.59 ± 0.2%) and length (1.16 ± 0.09%). The survival rate of H. scabra in all treatments reached 100%, suggesting the indoor cultivation system in this experiment did not negatively affect the growth of H. scabra.

Does tank background colour influence the growth, survival, and carotenoid content in fishes? An illustration in filament barb, Dawkinsia filamentosa (Valenciennes, 1844)

The various environmental factors have a significant impact on cultured species. One such factor influencing larval production in finfish hatcheries is the tank colour. The current study appraised at how different background tank colours such as white, red, blue, green, and black influenced the growth, survival, and body pigmentation of filament barb, Dawkinsia filamentosa. The experiment was conducted for 30 days and the fish were fed with powdered diet thrice a day containing 30% crude protein and 4% crude lipid at satiation level. At the end of study, it was found that the final body length in the black colour tank (15.33 ± 0.17 mm) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher compared to other tank colour groups. In comparison to other treatments, the final body weight (65.17 ± 1.48 mg) and average daily weight gain (1.56 ± 0.05 mg day−1) in the black colour tank was found to be significantly (p < 0.05) higher, while the white colour tank (35.83 ± 1.64 mg; 0.59 ± 0.06 mg day−1) were significantly (p < 0.05) lower. The fish reared in the black colour tank had significantly (p < 0.05) higher specific growth rate (4.22 ± 0.07% day−1) and thermal growth coefficient (19.4 ± 0.6), whereas the white colour tank had the lowest (SGR = 2.24 ± 0.17% day−1; TGC = 7.27 ± 0.71). The survival rate was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in black colour tank (78.33 ± 1.67%) and lowest survival was observed in white tank colour (56.67 ± 3.33%), which represented an improvement of almost 20% for the fishes reared in black colour tank. Fish reared in black tank had the significantly higher level of carotenoid content (2.33 ± 0.08 μg g−1) and fish reared in white tank had lower body carotenoid level (1.02 ± 0.05 μg g−1). It was observed that the different tank colour did not (p > 0.05) cause any change in the stress and non-specific immune parameters of filament barb. Based on the findings, it can be stated that black background colour is the best tank colour for rearing and production of filament barb.

Abstract 2714: Systems medicine based metabolic profiling of metastatic melanoma reveals insights into tumor biology, prognosis, and new therapeutic strategies

Abstract Background: Tumor cells are able to reprogram their metabolism in order to sustain continuous growth and proliferation. Although, this has led to the development of metabolism-based therapies, until now there are no systematic ways to identify key metabolic targets for therapy. This area of research deserves more attention considering that targeting tumor metabolism has been shown to increase the efficacy of standard chemotherapy in pre-clinical studies. For tumors with poor prognosis, like late-stage metastatic melanoma, this untapped area for therapeutic discovery could lead to the development of novel metabolism-based therapies. Method: To address this challenge we designed a systems medicine-based technique to understand tumor metabolism in individual patients at a level of detail not previously achievable. In concrete, we statistically integrated metabolic network modeling with RNA-sequencing data (RNA-seq). This allows us to integrate molecular data about individual tumors (from RNA-seq) with a curated knowledge base of how these molecules interact within a patient’s tumor (using metabolic network models). This results in a mathematical description, or model, of a specific tumor’s metabolism that is able to be interrogated (i.e., it is high-dimensional like RNA-seq data) and able to be simulated (i.e., we can “drug” the model and investigate downstream effects). We applied this technique to 325 metastatic melanoma tumor RNA-seq profiles downloaded from The Cancer Genome Atlas to characterize metabolic differences across patients. Results: We found considerable differences in metabolic function across metastatic melanoma patient tumors. One of the main drivers of patient-to-patient metabolic variability appeared to be BRAF mutations, with BRAF mutated tumors showing higher levels of glutathione metabolism, lower levels of glutamate metabolism, and lower levels of oxidative phosphorylation. In addition to these differences, we found that several metabolic pathways were associated with poor overall survival prognosis regardless of BRAF mutations status including high specific growth rate, high cholesterol metabolism, and high serotonin and melatonin biosynthesis. Furthermore, simulating knockouts of enzymes involved in these pathways resulted in a set of actionable targets that could enhance chemotherapy for metastatic melanoma patients. Conclusion: Using systems medicine, we have characterized metabolism in metastatic melanoma at high resolution in 325 patient tumors. This characterization revealed the variability in metastatic melanoma across patients and how this variability is associated with clinical outcome. Furthermore, our approach suggests additional therapeutic targets to enhance patient care. Citation Format: Daniel Cook, Dorys A. Lopez-Ramos, Patricia Carrigan, Joseph R. Peterson, The SimBioSys Team. Systems medicine based metabolic profiling of metastatic melanoma reveals insights into tumor biology, prognosis, and new therapeutic strategies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2714.

Growth and immunological profile of gercacinid crab at different sublethal salinity regimes

Salinity is the most variable ecological parameter in the lagoon with daily and seasonal variations. The changes in growth, serum biochemistry and antioxidant enzymes activities of Cardisoma armatum were examined during 84-day exposure to five different sublethal salinities (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 ppt). At the start of the trial, the crab initial average body weight was not significantly different (P &gt; 0.05). The highest weight gain was recorded in 15 ppt (47.40±1.01 g), followed by 20 ppt, 10 ppt and 5 ppt with no significant differences between them. At the end of 84 days experiment, the crab exhibited the lowest body weight growth (48.29 %) at 0 ppt and the highest (81.04±1.08%) at 10 ppt. The 10 ppt treatment had the highest specific growth rates (0.31±0.11 %/day), followed by 5 ppt, 20 ppt, 15 ppt, and then 0 ppt treatments. Aspartate and alanine aminotransferases significantly decreased after 0 ppt, but mean serum protein value increased with salinity increase. Greater activities of catalase, superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde were recorded in 5-20 ppt. All the antioxidant enzyme activities (with the exception of glutathione) showed significant differences. Thus, deviation from the brackish water condition adversely affects the growth and immune functions of the gecarcinid, resulting in population decline in reclaimed wetlands.

Salinity levels affect the lysine nutrient requirements and nutrient metabolism of juvenile genetically improved farmed tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

This 62-d research aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary lysine levels (DLL) and salinity on growth performance and nutrition metabolism of genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) juveniles (Oreochromis niloticus). Six diets with lysine supplementation (1·34, 1·70, 2·03, 2·41, 2·72 and 3·04 % of DM) were formulated under different cultured salinities in a two-factorial design. The results indicated that supplemental lysine improved the specific growth rate (SGR) and weight gain (WG) and decreased the feed conversion ratio (FCR). Meanwhile, the fish had higher SGR and WG and lower FCR at 8 ‰ salinity. Except for moisture, the whole-body protein, lipid and ash content of GIFT were increased by 8 ‰ salinity, which showed that DLL (1·34 %) increased the whole-body fat content and DLL (2·41 %) increased whole-body protein content. Appropriate DLL up-regulated mRNA levels of protein metabolism-related genes such as target of rapamycin, 4EBP-1 and S6 kinase 1. However, 0 ‰ salinity reduced these protein metabolism-related genes mRNA levels, while proper DLL could improve glycolysis and gluconeogenesis mRNA levels but decrease lipogenesis-related genes mRNA levels in liver. 0 ‰ salinity improved GLUT2, glucokinase and G6 Pase mRNA levels; however, sterol regulatory element-binding protein 1 and fatty acid synthase mRNA levels were higher at 8 ‰ salinity. Moreover, 8 ‰ salinity also increased plasma total protein and cholesterol levels and decreased glucose levels. These results indicated that the recommended range of lysine requirement under different salinity was 2·03-2·20 % (0 ‰) and 2·20-2·41 % (8 ‰) and 8 ‰ salinity resulted in higher lysine requirements due to changes in the related nutrient metabolism, which might provide useful information for designing more effective feed formulations for GIFT cultured in different salinity environment.