Morphology of the digestive system in carnivorous freshwater dourado Salminus brasiliensis

The digestive system of teleost shows remarkable functional and morphological diversity. In this study, the digestive tract and accessory organs of dourado Salminus brasiliensis are characterized using anatomical, histological, histochemical and immunohistochemical analyses. The existence of taste buds bordered by microridges in the oesophagus of dourado was recorded for the first time, thus showing that the species drives food intake by either swallowing or rejecting the food item. The Y-shaped stomach of dourado consisted of cardiac, cecal and pyloric regions with tubular gastric glands registered solely in the cardiac and cecal segments. The intestine is a short N-shaped tube with two loops, an intestinal coefficient of 0.73. The structure of pyloric caeca is similar to that of the intestine wall, comprising tunica mucosa, tela submucosa, tunica muscularis and tunica serosa layers. Histochemical analyses revealed an increased incidence of goblet cells from the midgut to the hindgut segment. A well-developed enteric plexus of scattered nerve cell and fibres are found along the digestive tract, and the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactive neurons and fibres were identified in the myenteric plexus from the oesophagus to the hindgut. The exocrine pancreas appears diffuse in the mesentery around the stomach, intestine and also reaches the liver, and the endocrine pancreas is organized as a few islets of Langerhans. The liver comprises three distinct, asymmetric lobes, and the portal triad arrangement was registered in this tissue.

Coping with suboptimal water temperature: modifications in blood parameters, body composition, and postingestive-driven diet selection in Nile tilapia fed two vegetable oil blends

The world tilapia production faces seasonal variations. However, very few nutritional studies have addressed suboptimal temperature. We evaluated the effect of two temperatures (20 or 30 °C) and two vegetable oil blends (one rich in corn oil (COR) and one rich linseed oil (LIN)) on tilapia growth, body composition, and blood parameters using a 2×2 factorial design with the following treatments: COR-20; LIN-20; COR-30; LIN-30 (Trial 1). In addition, we also evaluated the effect of postingestive signals of dietary oils when the organoleptic properties of diets were isolated (Trial 2). In the Trial 1, 256 fish (15.36 ± 0.14 g) were placed in 16 aquariums and submitted during 30 days to the 2×2 factorial designs: COR-20; LIN-20; COR-30; LIN-30. The temperatures were established in two independent water recirculation systems. In the Trial 2, 96 fish (34.02 ± 0.79 g) were placed in 12 aquariums and subjected to the same experimental design of Trial 1, but to evaluate fish feeding behavior. They were allowed to select the encapsulated diets provided in different feeding halls to evaluate if diet preferences are influenced by postingestive signals. As the Trial 1 results show, diets had no significant effects on growth, dietary protein use, and body centesimal composition, but 30 °C induced the best performance and protein deposition (P < 0.05). LIN-20 showed lower very-low-density lipoprotein and cortisol, but higher high-density lipoprotein (HDL), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and triglycerides (TG) than COR-20 (P < 0.05). COR-30 presented higher HDL, AST, ALT, TG, and cortisol than LIN-30. The fish fed COR showed lower C20:5n-3 (EPA) and higher n-6 than fish fed LIN (P < 0.05). The fish fed LIN had high n-3 highly unsaturated fatty acid. ∑ polyunsaturated fatty acid was higher at 30 °C. Finally, the tilapia in Trial 2 showed clear diet intake regulation and preference for LIN (P < 0.05), regardless of temperature. In short, lipid sources had no influence on tilapia performance; however, temperature affects carcass lipid deposition as well as fatty acids profile. Notably, the preference for linseed oil can suggest nutritional metabolic issues, contributing to animal behavior knowledge.

Supplemental L-arginine improves feed conversion and modulates lipid metabolism in male and female broilers from 29 to 42 days of age

The excessive accumulation of abdominal fat in broilers is an economic waste. Supplemental dietary L-arginine has been shown to reduce lipogenesis in broilers, but studies on this subject are still scarce. Two experiments were conducted in a 5×2 factorial design, with five L-arginine concentrations in diets (0, 3, 6, 9 and 12 g/kg) provided to male and female broilers, from 29 to 42 days of age, reared in boxes or cages, with six replicates of 23 broilers per box and six replicates of three broilers per cage, totalling 1560 broilers. Data on performance, carcass and cuts yield, abdominal fat deposition, chemical composition of the breast, lipid profile and liver enzyme activity were evaluated in experiment 1. In experiment 2, the balance and retention of nitrogen, metabolizability coefficients and metabolizable energy of feed were determined and the treatments were evaluated in six replicates of three broilers per cage, totalling 180 broilers. In both experiments, there was no interaction (P > 0.05) between L-arginine concentration in the diet and sex of the broilers for all parameters evaluated. Male broilers showed higher (P < 0.05) weight gain, noble cuts yield, levels of CP and mineral matter in the breast, better feed conversion (P < 0.05) and lower (P < 0.05) malic enzyme activity in the liver and abdominal fat deposition. On the other hand, regardless of sex, the increase in L-arginine concentration in the diet improved (P < 0.05) the feed conversion in addition to reducing (P < 0.05) serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the malic enzyme activity in the liver and abdominal fat deposition. In conclusion, male broilers had better productive results than females. However, supplementing the diet of male or female broilers from 29 to 42 days of age with L-arginine at a concentration of 6.87 g/kg represents a nutritional strategy to improve feed conversion and reduce circulating triacylglycerol and cholesterol levels, NADPH synthesis by liver malic enzyme and abdominal fat deposition, without negatively affecting the carcass and noble cuts yield, the amount of nitrogen excreted by the broilers and the energy value of the feed.

Metabolic responses to dietary carbohydrate/lipids ratios in neotropical hybrid catfish (♂Pseudoplatystoma corruscans×♀Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum)

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of different carbohydrate and lipid (CHO/L) ratios on the performance and energy metabolism of hybrid catfish (♂Pseudoplatystoma corruscans × ♀ Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum). One hundred and sixty-eight fish (104.9±16.5 g BW) were distributed into 24 100-L tanks. The experiment was performed using a randomised block design with four CHO/L ratios (0.45, 1.00, 1.66 and 2.85) and six replications. Growth performance, protein content, glucose and triglycerides in plasma, muscle and liver, and the hepatic activity of the malic and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzymes were measured after 60 feeding days. No significant differences were observed in growth performance, protein and triglycerides of plasma and muscle, hepatic protein or malic enzyme activity. CHO/L: 2.85 provided the highest plasma and liver glucose, while CHO/L: 0.45 showed high liver triglycerides. A linear effect was found for the hepatic activity of G6PD and dietary starch levels (R2=0.93). The hepatic activity of G6PD was greater in CHO/L=2.85 than for CHO/L: 0.45. In conclusion, the limit of dietary starch inclusion and lipids were 15% and 9.00%, respectively (CHO/L: 1.66), and this level did not affect the energy metabolism of the juvenile hybrid catfish.

Daily rhythms of the expression of genes from the somatotropic axis: The influence on tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) of feeding and growth hormone administration at different times

The aim of this research was to investigate the presence of daily rhythms in the somatotropic axis of tilapia fed at two times (mid-light, ML or mid-dark, MD) and the influence of the time of day of growth hormone (GH) administration on the response of this axis. Two different GH injection times were tested: ZT 3 (3h after lights on) and ZT 15 (3h after lights off). In both experiments, the mRNA expression levels of hypothalamic pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (pacap), pituitary growth hormone (gh), liver insulin-like growth factors (igf1 and igf2a), and liver and muscle growth hormone receptors (ghr1 and ghr2) and IGF receptors (igf1ra and igf2r) were evaluated by means of qPCR. Daily rhythms were observed in the liver for ghr1, ghr2 and igf2r but only in fish fed at ML, with the acrophases located in the light phase (ZT 3:30, 3:31 and 7:38 h, respectively). In the muscle, ghr1 displayed a significant rhythm in both groups and ghr2 in ML fed fish (acrophases at ZT 5:29, 7:14 and 9:23h). The time of both GH administration and feeding influenced the response to GH injection: ML fed fish injected with GH at ZT 15 h showed a significant increase in liver igf1, igf2a and ghr2; and muscle ghr2 expression. This is the first report that describes the existence of daily rhythms in the somatotropic axis of tilapia and its time-dependent responses of GH administration. Our results should be considered when investigating the elements of the somatotropic axis in tilapia and GH administration.

Efecto de tres tipos de presas vivas en la larvicultura de bagre blanco (Sorubim cuspicaudus)

RESUMENObjetivo. Evaluar el efecto de diferentes presas vivas en la larvicultura de bagre blanco (Sorubim cuspicaudus). Materiales y métodos. Al inicio de la alimentación exógena de Sorubim cuspicaudus, se ofreció zooplancton producido en mesocosmos (T1), zooplancton silvestre (T2) y nauplios de Artemia (T3), en concentración de 10.000 zoop/L, dos veces al día, durante seis días. Se utilizaron 18 acuarios de cinco litros de volumen útil, con densidad de 25 Larvas/L, seis réplicas por tratamiento en un diseño al azar. Se estimaron la ganancia en peso (Gp) y longitud (Gl), tasa de crecimiento específico (G), sobrevivencia (S), resistencia al estrés (Re), mortalidad acumulada (Ma) y mortalidad por canibalismo (Mc). Resultados. Las larvas alimentadas con mesocosmos presentaron la mayor sobrevivencia (81.3±15.9%); aunque el mejor crecimiento lo presentaron las larvas alimentadas con zooplancton silvestre (T2) las cuales presentaron la mayor mortalidad (42.0±10.7%) y la menor resistencia al estrés (30.0±33.0%). El canibalismo se observó en todos los tratamientos, oscilando entre 4.0 (T2) y 14.3% (T1) sin diferencias significativas entre estos valores (p>0.05). Conclusiones. El uso de zooplancton producido bajo condiciones controladas permitió una alta sobrevivencia, adecuado desempeño y resistencia de las larvas, perfilándose como alternativa viable en la primera alimentación de bagre blanco.

Content of plasmatic glycerol and activity of hepatic glycerol kinase in broiler chickens fed diets containing different sources and concentrations of glycerine

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of three sources of glycerine (crude glycerine from soya bean oil - CGSO, mixed crude glycerine from frying oil and lard--MCG, and a semipurified glycerine from soya bean oil--SPGSO) in four concentrations in the diet (17.5, 35.0, 52.5 and 70.0 g of each type of glycerine per kg of feed) on the levels of plasmatic glycerol and the activity of the hepatic enzyme glycerol kinase in broilers of 22-35 days old (experiment I) and 33-42 days old (experiment II). The highest (p < 0.05) plasmatic glycerol level was detected in broilers fed diet containing CGSO. Independent of the source, increasing the concentration of glycerine led to a linear increase (p < 0.05) in the plasmatic glycerol concentration. In experiment I, all the diets containing glycerine resulted in increased concentrations of plasmatic glycerol, in relation to the control diet without glycerine. However, in experiment II, only the diet containing 17.5 g of CGSO per kg of feed and the diets formulated with any of the three types of glycerine in the inclusion concentrations of 35, 52.5 and 70 g/kg of feed resulted in higher plasmatic glycerol levels than those observed in the control broilers. The source of glycerine influenced the glycerol kinase activity only in experiment II, where the use of CGSO in the diet increased the enzyme activity. For both experiments, the glycerol kinase activity increased with the inclusion of glycerine in the diet. In conclusion, based on the absence of saturation of the glycerol kinase activity for the three glycerine sources and for both rearing periods evaluated, the broilers can metabolize the glycerol (at the level of the phosphorylation of the glycerol to glycerol-3-phosphate in the liver) present in the glycerine when the diet is supplemented with up to 70 g of glycerine per kg of feed.

Dietary self-selection of protein-unbalanced diets supplemented with three essential amino acids in Nile tilapia

Animals do not eat whatever food item they encounter, but choose different foods that best match their requirements. Fish exhibit such "nutritional wisdom" and adapt their feeding behaviour and food intake according to their needs and the nutritional properties of diets. In this paper, we tested the ability of Nile tilapia to select between diets with a balanced or unbalanced composition of essential amino acids. To this end, three different diets were prepared: a gelatine based diet (D(1)), a gelatine diet supplemented with three essential amino acids (EAA, l-tryptophane, l-methionine, l-threonine) (D(2)), and a diet containing only cellulose and the three crystalline EAA (D(3)). In addition, the putative role of both orosensorial factors (using pellets vs capsules) and social interactions (single vs groups of ten fish) was investigated. To this end, a total of 68 male tilapia of about 141±48 g (mean±S.D.) were challenged, individually or in groups, to select between D(1)vs D(2) using pellets dispensed by self-feeders (exp. 1). In another experiment (exp. 2), 11 individual fish were challenged to select encapsulated diets with non flavour or smell proprieties (D(1)vs D(2)), and in exp. 3 fish were challenged to self-supplementation in EAA (D(1)vs D(3)). The results showed the ability of tilapia to avoid the EAA-deficient diet, choosing 82.2% D(2) in the case of individual fish, and 80.8% D(2) in the case of fish groups. Dietary selection was not directly driven by the orosensorial characteristics of food, since tilapia sustained a higher preference for D(2) when fed with encapsulated diets. Finally, in exp. 3 tilapia self-supplemented the EAA deficiency by selecting a synchronised combination of D(1) and D(3) that matched their nutritional requirements. These findings highlighted the capacity of fish to make dietary selection based on the EAA content, which should be considered when discussing food intake regulation mechanisms, and diet formulation and supplementation with EAA.