Influence of dietary bitter orange peel powder on growth, body composition, blood parameters, gut morphometry, and thermal tolerance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The potential of bitter orange peel powder (BOPP) as a nutritional strategy for fish was investigated in Nile tilapia. A total of 120 juveniles with an average initial weight of 9.8 ± 0.7 g were divided into four groups, replicated three times, resulting in 12 experimental units (60 L each) at a stocking density of 1.63 g of fish per liter. Productive parameters, whole-body composition, blood biochemistry, erythroid morphometry, intestinal histology, and heat tolerance were assessed in the juveniles subjected to one of the following treatments: non-supplemented basal diet (control group); basal diet with BOPP at 10 g/kg (BOPP10 group); basal diet with BOPP at 20 g/kg (BOPP20 group); and basal diet with BOPP at 40 g/kg (BOPP40 group). The BOPP additive had a positive influence on Nile tilapia growth, as final weight and weight gain were greater in all BOPP-treated fish, despite the reduction in crude protein in BOPP10 and BOPP20 groups. Fish receiving BOPP40 had an increase in total lipids and showed the highest levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol. Villi development was greater in the tilapia given BOPP10. It may be concluded that BOPP presented the most promising results for Nile tilapia juveniles when used at 10 g/kg diet. Regarding the erythroid morphometry, there was a general increase in nuclear and cytoplasmic areas in BOPP-fed tilapia; this seems to be the first report on the direct impact of the inclusion of functional additives in fish diet upon such parameters. As concerns the thermal tolerance evaluated at the end of the feeding trial, no differences were registered among the experimental groups. Thus, BOPP represents a feasible alternative ingredient to be explored in fish nutrition, since orange peel is a natural low-cost source of essential nutrients and valuable bioactive compounds.

Dietary Supplementation with R-(+)-Limonene Improves Growth, Metabolism, Stress, and Antioxidant Responses of Silver Catfish Uninfected and Infected with Aeromonas hydrophila.

R-(+)-limonene is a monoterpene from plants of the genus Citrus with diverse biological properties. This research evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with R-(+)-limonene on growth, metabolic parameters in plasma and liver, and the antioxidant and stress responses in silver catfish, Rhamdia quelen, challenged or not with Aeromonas hydrophila. Fish were fed for 67 days with different doses of R-(+)-limonene in the diet (control 0.0, L0.5, L1.0, and L2.0 mL/kg of diet). On the 60th day, a challenge with A. hydrophila was performed. R-(+)-limonene in the diet potentiated the productive performance of the fish. The metabolic and antioxidant responses indicate that R-(+)-limonene did not harm the health of the animals and made them more resistant to the bacterial challenge. Histological findings showed the hepatoprotective effect of dietary R-(+)-limonene against A. hydrophila. Igf1 mRNA levels were upregulated in the liver of fish fed with an L2.0 diet but downregulated with bacterial challenge. The expression levels of crh mRNA were higher in the brains of fish fed with the L2.0 diet. However, the L2.0 diet downregulated crh and hspa12a mRNA expression in the brains of infected fish. In conclusion, the results indicated that R-(+)-limonene can be considered a good dietary supplement for silver catfish.

Nitrogenous and phosphorus excretions in juvenile silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) exposed to different water hardness, humic acid, and pH levels.

This study examined ammonia, urea, creatinine, protein, nitrite, nitrate, and phosphorus (P) excretion at different water hardness, humic acid, or pH levels in silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen) juveniles. The fish were exposed to different levels of water hardness (4, 24, 50, or 100 mg L(-1) CaCO3), humic acid (0, 2.5, or 5.0 mg L(-1)), or pH (5.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, or 9.0) for 10 days. The overall measured nitrogen excretions were 88.1% (244-423 µmol kg(-1 )h(-1)) for ammonia, 10.9% (30-52 µmol kg(-1 )h(-1)) for creatinine, 0.02% (0.05-0.08 µmol kg(-1 )h(-1)) for protein, 0.001 % (0.002-0.004 µmol kg(-1 )h(-1)) for urea, 0.5% (0.64-3.6 µmol kg(-1 )h(-1)) for nitrite, and 0.5% (0.0-6.9 µmol kg(-1 )h(-1)) for nitrate, and these proportions were not affected by water hardness or humic acid levels. The overall P excretion in R. quelen was 0.14-2.97 µmol kg(-1) h(-1). Ammonia excretion in R. quelen usually was significantly higher in the first 12 h after feeding, and no clear effect of water hardness, humic acid levels, and pH on this daily pattern of ammonia excretion could be observed. Water hardness only affected the ammonia and P excretion of R. quelen juveniles in the initial and fifth days after transfer, respectively. The exposure of this species to humic acid increased ammonia excretion after 10 days of exposure but did not affect P excretion. An increase in pH decreased ammonia and increased creatinine excretion but did not change P excretion in R. quelen. Therefore, when there is any change on humic acid levels or pH in the culture of this species, nitrogenous compounds must be monitored because their excretion rates are variable. On the other hand, P excretion rates determined in the present study are applicable to a wide range of fish culture conditions.

Effects of water cadmium concentrations on bioaccumulation and various oxidative stress parameters in Rhamdia quelen.

The effects of sublethal cadmium concentrations on oxidative stress parameters were evaluated in Rhamdia quelen. The fish were exposed to 0.44, 236, and 414 µg l⁻¹ cadmium for 7 and 14 days, followed by the same time periods for recovery. Enzymes, such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione S-transferase (GST), and indicators of oxidative stress, such as thiobarbituric acid-reactive species (TBARS) and protein carbonyl, were verified in fish tissues. In addition, the accumulation of cadmium was evaluated in these tissues. Our results indicate that CAT and GST levels decreased in gills after exposure periods associated with increased TBARS levels. In hepatic tissue, CAT, GST, TBARS, and protein carbonyl levels increased after 7 days of exposure, whereas SOD activity decreased after exposure for 14 days. In the kidney, TBARS levels decreased after exposure for 7 days and increased after exposure for 14 days. During the recovery periods, some variations persisted in gills, liver, and kidney. Cadmium accumulation was most significant in liver, followed by kidney and gills. These results indicate that cadmium concentrations studied invoke a stress response in silver catfish.