Properties of scallop mantle collagen: its content,tissue distribution and thermal behavior

ABSTRACT:   To obtain fundamental information for the effective use of scallop Patinopecten yessoensis mantle, which is one of the underutilized marine resources. Some properties of collagen contained in the mantle were examined by chemical and histochemical techniques. Collagen content in the mantle varied annually, ranging from 0.98 to 1.72% of wet tissue, 7.7 to 12.6% of dry tissue and 13.5 to 26.5% of total protein, being relatively in high level of collagen content of invertebrate muscles. Collagen fiber was densely distributed in the inner connective tissue matrix of the mantle pallial, in contrast to the inner fold part which was rich in muscle fibers. The collagen contained in the crude collagen fraction (residue after alkali extraction), prepared from the mantle, was revealed to have considerably low solubility on hot-water extraction, constantly less than 20% of the total collagen at the temperatures in the range of 20–90°C.     

Extraction and Physicochemical Characterization of Pepsin Soluble Collagens from Golden Pompano (Trachinotus blochii) Skin and Bone

Pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) was extracted and purified from wasted skin and bone of the golden pompano by acetic acid-pepsin method. The result showed that the PSCs extraction yields of skin and bone were 21.81% and 1.25% (wet weight), 62.21% and 1.78% (on the basis of lyophilized dry weight), respectively. Golden pompano skin and bone PSCs contained the typical chain of α and β dimers, and they were preliminarily judged to belong to type I collagen. The skin PSC had similar amino acid composition to bone PSC, which is rich in glycine, alanine, proline, and hydroxyproline. After addressing the pepsin, three helical structure of PSCs were intact, and their natural structures largely remained. The denaturation temperatures of skin and bone PSCs were 37.04°C and 38.23°C, respectively. Solubility results showed that the skin and bone PSCs solubility was the largest at pH = 3. The solubility of skin and bone PSCs was stable at NaCl concentrations lower than 3%. In addition, two PSCs in acid and low salt conditions had good solubility. This study demonstrated that golden pompano skin and bone could be used as good materials to extract PSC, representing an economic benefit and added value.

Abbreviations: SDS-PAGE: Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; FTIR: Fourier transform infrared; DSC: Differential scanning calorimetry; XRD: X-ray diffraction     

Changes in the pericellular connective tissue and breaking strength of the three types of muscles of the cultured carp Cyprinus carpio during storage in ice

To elucidate the structural changes in pink (P), white (W), and red (R) muscles during storage in ice, we measured the breaking strength and changes in pericellular connective tissues of cultured carp. The breaking strength just after killing was highest in R muscle (1.00 ± 0.20 N), lowest in W muscle (0.37 ± 0.07 N), and intermediate (0.84 ± 0.12 N) in P muscle. During the storage period, the breaking strength decreased first in R muscle, then in P muscle, followed by W muscle. The diameter of muscle fibers was greater in W muscle (113 ± 15 μm) than in P muscle (72 ± 3 μm) and R muscle (48 ± 2 μm). Destruction of the honeycomb structure of the pericellular connective tissue occurred most rapidly in W muscle and most slowly in R muscle. These results suggest that the interposing of P muscle fibers in the dorsal ordinary muscle contributes to the acceleration of post-mortem tenderization in fish.     

Pyridinoline concentrations in muscular and skin collagen of fish and relationship between collagen solubility and pyridinoline concentration in fish muscular collagen

Pyridinoline (Pyr), one of the mature crosslinks of collagen, was determined in muscular collagen of three species of fish. The amounts of muscular Pyr in red sea bream, yellowtail, and tiger puffer were 3.4, 8.8, and 50.3 mmol/mol collagen, respectively, indicating that the Pyr concentration in muscular collagen differs greatly among fish species. The Pyr concentration in tiger puffer muscular collagen was the greatest, but it was only one-fourth that in rabbit muscle. As in mammalian skin collagen, Pyr was not detected in skin collagen of red sea bream and yellowtail. However, tiger puffer skin contained Pyr (3.75 mmol/mol collagen). The presence of Pyr would have a relationship to some features of tiger puffer skin, such as mechanical strength and thickness. Pyr concentrations in acid-soluble collagen (ASC), pepsin-solubilized collagen (PSC), and insoluble collagen (ISC) in muscles of three species of fish were determined. Pyr was found in ISC > PSC > ASC, from the highest to the lowest concentration, and the concentration in ISC was 45–200 times that in ASC. Therefore, Pyr crosslinks that are formed between collagen molecules would have a close relationship to collagen solubility.     

Difference Between Tetrodotoxin and Saxitoxins in Accumulation in Puffer Fish Takifugu rubripes Liver Tissue Slices

In vitro accumulation of tetrodotoxin (TTX) and paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) in tiger puffer fish Takifugu rubripes was investigated using liver tissue slices. When T. rubripes liver slices were incubated with Leibovitz’s L-15 medium containing 0.13 mM TTX at 20 °C in air with saturated humidity, they accumulated 21.5 ± 7.3 μg TTX g^?1 liver after the incubation for 12 h and increased to 55.3 ± 8.2 μg TTX g^?1 liver at 48 h. In the incubation of T. rubripes liver slices with 0.13 mM PST-containing medium, PST was detected 6.3 ± 0.9 μg g^?1 liver at 12 h and reached a plateau thereafter. These results reveal the difference between TTX and PST in accumulation in T. rubripes liver tissue slices. To examine the variation in PST accumulation among fish species, the liver tissue slices from tiger puffer fish T. rubripes, parrot-bass Oplegnathus fasciatus and green ling Hexagrammos otakii were incubated at a concentration of 0.027 mM PST. The toxin contents of 3.0 μg g^?1 liver were observed at 8 h regardless of fish species but were not increased subsequently, showing no variety among these three species as to accumulation patterns of PST. It is noted that the tiger puffer fish T. rubripes liver specifically accumulate TTX in preference to PST.     

Blood vessel melanosis: a physiological detoxification mechanism in Atlantic cod (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gadus morhua</Emphasis>)

Melanin deposits in white muscle represent a potentially serious quality problem for farmed cod. Black lines of deposited melanin are associated with blood vessels and consist of layers of melanin-filled cells. Despite numerous anecdotal reports of melanosis in farmed cod no detailed investigations into the underlying mechanisms have been undertaken. In this study we have confirmed that melanosis is present in both farmed and wild cod. However, the incidence of melanosis in wild fish is much lower than that in farmed fish. In addition, we have demonstrated that tyrosinase, a copper-dependent metalloenzyme that is the primary enzyme of melanin synthesis, is present in cod tissues. Copper levels are significantly different in the white muscle of farmed (0.5 ± 0.03 mg/kg wet weight) and wild (0.34 ± 0.01 mg/kg wet weight) cod (P < 0.05) and in the blood vessels of farmed (2.23 ± 0.37 mg/kg wet weight) and wild (0.32 ± 0.02 mg/kg wet weight) cod (P < 0.05). Similarly, differences in the levels of tyrosinase activity were observed in both muscle and blood vessels. Melanised tissues contain higher copper concentrations than tissue containing little or no melanin. Furthermore, we have shown that the addition of copper to protein extracts from fish muscle causes an increase in tyrosinase activity in vitro. Our results suggest that overabundance of copper in commercial feeds leads to increased melanin synthesis via increased tyrosinase activity. We propose that melanin is deposited at sites of high copper exposure and subsequently sequesters copper as a means of reducing the overload stress on other homeostatic mechanisms.     

Deposition of tocopherol and tocotrienol in the tissues of red hybrid tilapia, Oreochromis sp., fed vitamin E-free diets supplemented with different plant oils

Vitamin E, a potent antioxidant consisting of four isomers each (α, β, γ, δ) of tocopherol (T) and tocotrienol (T3), is found naturally in plant oils at different concentrations. In this study, four semi-purified isonitrogenous and isolipidic (10 %) diets containing canola oil, cold-pressed soybean oil, wheat germ oil, or palm fatty acid distillates (PFAD) as the sole vitamin E source were fed to triplicate groups of red hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) fingerlings (14.82 ± 0.05 g) for 45 days. Vitamin E concentrations and composition were measured in the muscle, liver, skin, and adipose tissue. Deposition of α-T (53.4–93.1 % of total vitamin E) predominated over deposition of other isomers, except in the liver of fish fed the SBO diet, where α-T and γ-T deposition was in the ratio 40:60. T3 deposition (2.6–29.4 %) was only detected in tissues of fish fed the PFAD diet; adipose tissue was the major storage depot. Fish fed the SBO diet contained significantly more (P < 0.05) muscle thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. Muscle fatty acid composition reflected dietary fatty acid profile. This is the first study to compare the deposition in fish tissues of the naturally occurring vitamin E isomers present in plant oils. The type and concentration of endogenous vitamin E and the fatty acid composition of plant oils can affect the oxidative stability of tilapia tissues.     

Effect of dietary lysine on growth,intestinal enzymes activities and antioxidant status of sub-adult grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

The dietary lysine requirement of sub-adult grass carp (460 ± 1.5 g) was assessed by feeding diets supplemented with grade levels of lysine (6.6, 8.5, 10.8, 12.9, 15.0 and 16.7 g kg^?1 diet) for 56 days. The test diets (28 % CP) contained fish meal, casein and gelatin as sources of intact protein, supplemented with crystalline amino acids. Weight gain (WG), feed intake and feed efficiency were significantly improved with increasing levels of lysine up to 12.9 g kg^?1 diet and thereafter declined (P < 0.05). Quadratic regression analysis of WG at 95 % maximum response indicated lysine requirement was 10.9 g kg^?1 diet. Activities of trypsin, chymotrypsin, lipase, Na⁺, K⁺-ATPase and alkaline phosphatase in intestine, creatine kinase activity in proximal and mid-intestine responded similar to WG (P < 0.05). In addition, lipid and protein oxidation decreased with increasing levels of lysine up to certain values and increased thereafter (P < 0.05); the anti-hydroxyl radical capacity, dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities and glutathione content were increased with increasing dietary lysine levels up to certain values in the detected tissues, except for hepatopancreatic GST. Requirement estimated on the basis of malondialdehyde content in intestine and hepatopancreas was 10.6 and 9.53 g lysine kg^?1 diet, respectively.     

禁食状态下凡纳滨对虾游离氨基酸的降解代谢

在禁食胁迫下,对在盐度为0(S0)和30(S30)水体中的凡纳滨对虾肌肉游离氨基酸(FAA)的浓度变化进行测定.结果表明,禁食15d后,两种盐度中的凡纳滨对虾肌肉游离氨基酸总量均有所升高,但其中游离的牛磺酸(Tau)、苏氨酸(Thr)、脯氨酸(Pro)、丙氨酸(Ala)、半胱氨酸(Cys)、缬氨酸(Val)、蛋氨酸(Met)、异亮氨酸(Ile)、亮氨酸(Leu)、苯丙氨酸(Phe)、赖氨酸(Lys)、组氨酸(His)的浓度却有不同程度的降低,脯氨酸(Pro)在禁食15d后的浓度降为0,牛磺酸(Tau)、苏氨酸(Thr)、丙氨酸(Ala)、半胱氨酸(Cys)、苯丙氨酸(Phe)、赖氨酸(Lys)的降幅也比较显著(P<0.05);但甘氨酸(Gly)、天门冬氨酸(Asp)、酪氨酸(Tyr)、精氨酸(Arg)等主要游离氨基酸的浓度却显著升高,从而使游离氨基酸总浓度升高.实验表明,凡纳滨对虾肌肉里游离氨基酸浓度在禁食胁迫下降解代谢强度不一,饲料中添加脯氨酸(Pro)、精氨酸(Arg)和赖氨酸(Lys)等游离氨基酸后,可能会对凡纳滨对虾的生长起到促进作用.     

孔雀石绿及其主要代谢产物在欧洲鳗鲡体内的蓄积及消除规律

为了解孔雀石绿及其有毒代谢产物无色孔雀石绿在鱼体中的蓄积与消除规律,达到对孔雀石绿的禁用监控,本试验对初始体重为12.42±2.18 g的欧洲鳗鲡进行0.1 mg/L药浴24 h,再转移到清水中养殖120d,采用高效液相色谱法测定血液、肝脏、肾脏和肌肉组织中孔雀石绿(MG)及其代谢物无色孔雀石绿(LMG)的残留。结果表明:在药浴开始阶段,肝脏、肾脏和肌肉中的MG含量迅速上升,肝脏、肾脏和血液于浸浴6 h时即达到最高平均值,分别为859.8±127.0μg/kg、589.2±40.0μg/kg和88.6±51.3μg/kg,肌肉于浸浴12h时达最高值(720.5±192.6μg/kg),随后含量下降。鳗鲡各组织中LMG高峰出现时间都晚于MG,血液、肝脏和肾脏中的LMG都是在浸浴12 h时,达到最高平均值,分别为1 135.0±376.4μg/kg、1 730.9±538.5μg/kg和238.9±105.5μg/kg;肌肉组织LMG的高峰出现时间更晚,是清水养殖3 d(72 h)时,为960.1±251.0μg/kg。血液中的MG消除最快,于清水养殖的第2天(48 h)检测不到残留。肾脏于养殖10 d(240 h)、肝脏于养殖45 d(1 080 h)时检测不到残留MG,而肌肉中的MG在养殖90 d时才检测不到。LMG在鳗鲡血液和肌肉组织中消除时间与MG相比显著延长,血液中的LMG消除时间是养殖90 d(2 160 h),而肌肉中于养殖120 d时,仍能检测到一定含量的LMG。除了肾组织在整个试验阶段和肌肉组织在浸浴过程中,所含平均MG比LMG高以外,其余情况下都是LMG平均含量明显高于MG平均值。本试验表明,可以通过对鳗鲡肌肉中的无色孔雀石绿残留的检测达到对孔雀石绿禁用的监控。     

The influence of feeding diets containing wheat gluten supplemented with dipeptides or free amino acids on structure and development of the skeletal muscle of carp (Cyprinus carpio)

A 28-day feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the influence of feeding diets containing plant protein wheat gluten supplemented with dipeptides or free amino acids on structure and development of the skeletal muscles of carp (Cyprinus carpio). Common carp fingerlings (1 month old) having an of average weight of 0.07 ± 0.02 g and total length of 17.79 ± 1.79 mm were fed three formulated diets—wheat gluten protein-based diets supplemented with Lys–Gly dipeptide (PP), free lysine and glycine (AA), control diet without lysine supplemented (CON)—and two other diets: restrictive diet—frozen zooplankton (Z) and commercial diet Aglo Norse (AN). After 28 days of experimental feeding, statistically significant higher survival was observed among fish fed AN and Z diets (99.5 ± 1.0 %; P ≤ 0.05). The feeding AN diet has had also a positive influence on weight and growth rate as well as on development and growth of skeletal muscles. Furthermore, carps fed AN diet had the largest area of red and white muscle as compared with the other feeding groups, and the differences were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). The increase in the number of proliferating cells (proliferating cell nuclear antigen) was observed on the last day of the experiment among carps fed PP, AA and CON. Moreover, fish fed PP significantly had the greatest number of MyoD- and myogenin-positive nucleus (P ≤ 0.05). Among the experimental diets based on wheat gluten, a positive impact on structure and development of muscles has been observed in carps fed PP diet.     

Dietary Lysine Requirement as Basis to Estimate the Essential Dietary Amino Acid Profile for Jundiá, Rhamdia quelen

The present study was designed to determine the optimal dietary lysine requirement for jundiá, Rhamdia quelen, fingerlings. Groups of 17 fish (1.4 ± 0.1 g) were stocked in 120‐L tanks and were fed semipurified diets (33% crude protein [CP] and 3500 kcal metabolizable energy) containing increasing concentrations of lysine (3.0, 4.0, 4.5, 5.0, 5.5, 6.0, and 6.5% CP). After 119 d, fish weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed intake and feed conversion (FC), apparent net protein utilization (ANPU), body composition (CP, fat, and ash), and vertebral collagen were determined. WG and SGR increased as dietary lysine concentration in protein increased up to 4.5%, reducing at 6.0 and 6.5% lysine. Fish that were fed the lowest lysine concentration presented the worst feed conversion (FC), which improved for fish fed with 4.5% or more lysine. Feed consumption followed the same trend as FC. The highest ANPU was observed in fish fed with 4.5% lysine. Fish fed diets containing 4.5, 5.0, and 5.5% lysine accumulated more body protein (P < 0.05). Collagen vertebral concentration was significantly higher in fish fed with the 4.5% lysine diet. Dietary requirement for lysine was 4.5 or 5.1% depending on the statistical model used for estimation: broken line or polynomial regression, respectively. The requirements for the other essential amino acids were estimated on the basis of the ideal protein concept and were similar to the requirements for other fish species, except for isoleucine, leucine, treonine, and valine, which were higher for jundiá.     

Physical and chemical characteristics of soil from tiger shrimp aquaculture ponds at Malacca,Malaysia

Soil physicochemical properties of the growout ponds of black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) were examined in relation to shrimp yields for one production cycle. The culture ponds were old (>5 years) and new (newly constructed) types. Soil texture was silty clay with low sand content and high proportion of clay for both the pond types with alkaline soil pH (7.87–9.71). Organic matter (OM) concentration was higher (7.48 ± 0.01%) in old ponds and positively related (r = 0.58, P < 0.05) with total nitrogen (TN). The major cations (Ca, Mg, and Na) were higher in the soil of old ponds and did not fluctuate significantly during culture. The majority of trace elements, i.e., Fe (349.22 ± 35.7 ppm), Mn (56.19 ± 30.2 ppm), Zn (88.56 ± 8.09 ppm), Al (454.3 ± 200.6), Pb (1.3 ± 0.96 ppm), Co (3.4 ± 0.2), V (6.56 ± 1.79 ppm), Cr (19.32 ± 0.63 ppm), Ti (82.78 ± 54.3 ppm), As (5.60 ± 0.28 ppm), Ag (0.38 ± 0.5 ppm), and Sb (3.89 ± 0.48 ppm) were found to be higher in new pond soils than the old ponds. Except for soil manganese, no major fluctuations in trace elements were observed during the culture period. Shrimp growth was not significantly different in the two types of ponds, and no distinct correlation between shrimp growth and element content of soils could be drawn. The results indicate that shrimp pond age may not affect production of shrimp if soils are properly managed pre- and postculture. The differences in production in different ponds might be the result of management practice such as quality of shrimp post larvae, pond preparation, water and feed quality, and available live feed in the pond bottom or other environmental factors like water nutrients and physicochemical parameters.     

Amino Acid Profile of Various Body Tissues and Eggs of Discus Fish,Symphysodon aequifasciata

Abstract

Amino acid profiles of various body tissues from juvenile and adult discus fish, Symphysodon aequifasciata, were compared. Results from whole-body tissue revealed significant difference (P < 0.05) between the levels of lysine, phenylalanine, alanine, aspartic acid, and serine among the two different fish sizes. Levels of arginine, histidine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and threonine were also higher in muscle tissue of adult fishes. Analysis of gill tissues showed significant difference in levels of histidine, isoleucine, lysine, methionine, threonine, tryptophan, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, proline, and serine were significantly different among the different fish stages. This study also showed that among all ten essential amino acids, muscle had the highest levels of histidine, isoleucine, lysine, and tryptophan; gills had the highest level of arginine; while levels of methionine and threonine were higher in the intestinal tissue. Regression analysis between the calculated whole-body A/E ratio of discus juveniles and with quantitative dietary amino acid requirements of several fish species also showed significant correlation, with highest r values (> 0.90) obtained with tilapia, common carp, channel catfish, and Japanese eel. This profile may be useful as a preliminary reference index to evaluate suitability of various ingredients in terms of amino acid profile for development of economical diet for discus farming.     

Proximate,Fatty Acid,and Amino Acid Compositions of Fish Muscle and Egg Tissue of Hilsa (Tenualosa) ilisha

The total lipid profile including the fatty acid composition and amino acid composition in eggs of Hilsa (Tenualosa) ilisha was studied in comparison with its muscle tissue. The eggs contained 30.4% lipid (on dry basis), which was 1.2 times higher than that of the muscle tissue lipid. The major portion of the egg lipid was composed of wax ester (about 47.6%) followed by triacylglycerol (TAG), phospholipid (PL), and cholesterol. The muscle tissue lipid contained TAG as the major fraction (41.8 ± 1.48%). Total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) was about 43 ± 0.05% and 32.4 ± 0.24% in egg PL and body tissue PL fractions, respectively. Among fatty alcohols of egg wax ester, 16:0 alcohol is predominant (56.4 ± 3.02%). Both the egg and muscle tissues are rich in all essential amino acids. The results indicate that muscle and eggs from Hilsa are rich in essential amino acids, PUFA, and phospholipids which are essential for human health and membrane development.     

Molecular and immune response characterizations of a novel Bax inhibitor-1 gene in pufferfish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Takifugu obscurus</Emphasis>

Apoptosis plays a crucial role in many biological processes, including development, cellular homeostasis, and immune responses. Bax inhibitor-1 (BI-1) is an anti-apoptotic protein that protects cells from endoplasmic reticulum stress-induced apoptosis. In this study, a BI-1 gene from the pufferfish Takifugu obscurus (Pf-BI-1) was identified and characterized. The full length of Pf-BI-1 cDNA was 1387 bp, including a 5′-UTR of 82 bp, a 3′-UTR of 591 bp containing a poly-(A) tail, and an open reading frame (ORF) of 714 bp that encodes a polypeptide of 237 amino acids. Pf-BI-1 was ubiquitously expressed in various tissues, with the highest expression levels in the blood, brain, and gill. The expression of Pf-BI-1 was up-regulated in a time-dependent manner after heat shock stress, ammonia stress, and bacterial challenge. Intracellular localization revealed that Pf-BI-1 was primarily localized in the cell cytoplasm. Furthermore, over-expression of Pf-BI-1 could active NF-кB reporter genes in HeLa cells. These results indicated that Pf-BI-1 may be involved in the apoptosis and immunity process against ambient stressors in pufferfish.     

Dietary lysine requirement of fingerling Catla catla (Hamilton) based on growth, protein deposition, lysine retention efficiency, RNA/DNA ratio and carcass composition

A 12-week experiment was conducted to quantify dietary lysine requirement of fingerling Catla catla (3.65 ± 0.05 cm; 0.58 ± 0.02 g) by feeding casein–gelatine-based diets (33.0 % crude protein; 14.3 kJ/g digestible energy) with six levels of l-lysine (1.25, 1.50, 1.75, 2.00, 2.25 and 2.50 % dry diet). The experiment was conducted in eighteen 70-L indoor polyvinyl circular troughs provided with a water flow-through system (1–1.5 L/min). Live weight gain (LWG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), protein deposition (PD), lysine retention efficiency (LRE%) and RNA/DNA ratio were used as the response criteria. Second-degree polynomial regression analysis at 95 % maximum and minimum response of LWG and FCR data exhibited the lysine requirement between 1.8 and 1.9 % dry diet, corresponding to 5.5–5.7 % dietary protein. Regression analysis of PD, LRE and RNA/DNA ratio yielded the requirement between 1.7 and 1.8 % dry diet, corresponding to 5.2–5.5 % dietary protein. Since live weight gain and protein deposition are the key parameters for estimating nutrient requirement, these tools were used to recommend the lysine requirement of fingerling C. catla which ranges between 1.7 and 1.8 % dry diet. Data generated during this study will be useful to formulate lysine-balanced feed for intensive culture of this fish.     

Heavy infection of Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus,Sauvage 1878) and its treatment trial by different therapeutic agents in a control environment

ABSTRACT

Striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus) fingerlings were stocked (60 fishes/m³) in cemented square tanks for ornamental fishery purposes at the College Fish Farm in Mangalore. A total of 400 fishes with a mean weight (g) ranging from 3.24 ± 1.21 to 6.70 ± 1.13 and a mean length (cm) of 7.50 ± 0.94 to 9.50 ± 1.10 were examined. A severe outbreak of salt-like granule white spots was found on the body surface. Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, a ciliate pathogen, was identified as the causative agent by clinical signs, wet mount, and histopathological observations. Infected fishes were transferred and equally distributed to the 0.45 m³ glass aquaria and treated with three treatments: (T1) methylene blue + salt; (T2) raising temperature with salt; and (T3) formalin + malachite green. The best fingerling survival (55 ± 9.36%) was obtained by elevated water temperature with salt in T2.     

Comparative analysis of total carotenoid content in tissues of purple and white inner-shell color pearl mussel,Hyriopsis cumingii

The freshwater pearl mussel Hyriopsis cumingii is the most important mussel species for freshwater pearl production in China. Mussel shell color is an important indicator of pearl quality. The objective of this study was to assess whether total carotenoid content (TCC) in H. cumingii is related to shell color. TCC of different tissues (gonad, gill, hepatopancreas, kidney, axe foot, mantle, and adductor muscle) of purple and white inner-shell H. cumingii was determined by UV–Vis spectrophotometry. The results revealed that TCC ranged from 12.91 ± 0.78 to 56.30 ± 0.74 μg/g. In general, TCC was higher in the hepatopancreas, followed by the mantle, gonad, gill, kidney, axe foot, and adductor muscle. TCC in gonad, gill, hepatopancreas, kidney, and mantle of purple mussels was significantly higher than that of white mussels. TCC in mussel tissues of H. cumingii was significantly different (P < 0.001) with respect to shell color. There were significant positive correlations between TCC in mussel mantle and shell color intensity. Future studies will assess the biological roles of carotenoids in shell color formation.     

吉富罗非鱼成鱼脏器系数的研究

为研究罗非鱼(Oreochromis niloticus)组织脏器重量与体重的关系,获得脏器系数。本研究随机选取40尾体重为600~900 g雄性吉富罗非鱼(GIFT)成鱼,进行体重、心脏、肝脏、肾脏、脾脏、肠、鳃、皮肤、胆囊、鳞片、肌肉及其他组织(鱼头、鱼鳍和鱼骨等)重量的测定,对体重与各组织脏器重量进行相关性分析,建立最优回归模型,并采用体重约为500 g雄性吉富罗非鱼对各组织脏器重量进行模型外推验证。结果显示,雄性吉富罗非鱼成鱼心脏、肝脏、肾脏、脾脏、肠、鳃、皮肤、胆囊、鳞片、肌肉和其他组织(鱼头、鱼鳍和鱼骨等)的脏器系数(%)分别为0.12±0.02、1.22±0.20、0.11±0.03、0.13±0.05、1.58±0.30、2.85±0.17、3.31±0.38、1.05±0.24、2.89±0.41、51.60±2.09和29.66±2.00,所有测定11个组织脏器重量与体重均呈显著正相关(P<0.001),符合一元线性回归模型(y=bx),所建立模型对体重为500 g雄性吉富罗非鱼心脏、肝脏、肾脏、脾脏、皮肤和肌肉重量预测误差均在8%以内。研究结果填补了罗非鱼脏器系数的空白,并为鱼类生理学、毒理学及构建鱼类生理药代动力学(physiologically based pharmacokinetics, PBPK)模型提供了基础数据。