Effects of dietary Bacillus pumilus on growth performance,innate immunity and digestive enzymes of giant freshwater prawns (Macrobrachium rosenbergii)

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of Bacillus pumilus on the growth performance, innate immunity and digestive enzymes of the giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Prawns (mean weight: 1.81 ± 0.01 g) were fed different levels of B. pumilus at doses of 0, 1 × 10⁷, 1 × 10⁸ and 1 × 10⁹ CFU/g to produce one control group and three experimental groups (G1, G2 and G3), respectively. After a 60‐day experimental feeding period, the results showed that the final weight, weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly higher in experimental groups than in the control (p < 0.05), whereas these improvements did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) among experimental groups. The improvements in phagocytic activity, respiratory burst (RBs) activity and the activity of catalase (CAT), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and acid phosphatase (ACP) were significantly higher in G2 and G3 than in the control and G1 (p < 0.05). Further, the activity of CAT, NOS and ACP significantly increased with an increase in the dietary level of B. pumilus (p < 0.05). The activity of phenoloxidase (PO) in G3 was significantly higher than that in the control (p < 0.05). The activity of amylase was significantly higher in the groups G2 and G3 than that in the control group. G3 improved the activity of protease compared with the control (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the results of this study indicated that the potential use of B. pumilusat a dose of 1 × 10⁸ CFU/g feed could improve the growth, immunity and digestive enzymes of M. rosenbergii.     

Essential amino acids supplementation to practical diets affects growth,feed utilization and glucose metabolism‐related signalling molecules of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala)

Six diets were formulated to investigate the success of fish meal (FM) replacement by plant proteins; diet 1 reflected a commercial feed (8% FM), diet 3 contained 4% FM, and diet 5 was devoid of FM. Whereas, diet 2, diet 4, and diet 6 reflected diet 1, diet 3, diet 5, respectively, and supplemented with essential amino acid (EAA). At the end of 8‐week trial, there was no significant difference in survival rate. Significantly higher final weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate were recorded in the group fed diet 2 compared with the other treatments (except diet 4) (p < 0.05). Feed conversion ratio of fish fed diet 2 was significantly lower than those fed diets 1, 3, and 5 (p < 0.05). The lowest feed intake and highest protein efficiency rate were found in fish fed diet 2 (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in whole body compositions between treatments. Plasma aspartate transaminases, alanine aminotransferase, and glucose were significantly affected by dietary treatments (p < 0.05), while plasma protein and albumin contents were not influenced by the treatments. The relative expression of target of rapamycin (TOR) and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase, regulatory subunit 1 (alpha) (PIK3R1) in fish fed diet 3 (4% FM) were significantly down‐regulated compared with those fed diet 6 for TOR and diets 4 and 6 for PIK3R1 (p < 0.05). Insulin receptor substrate 1 (IRS‐1) and janus kinase 3 (JAK3) expressions were fluctuated, with the higher levels in fish fed diets 4 and 6. In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that plant protein mixture supplemented with EAA could be used to substitute FM in practical diet for Megalobrama amblycephala.     

Effects of dietary vitamin C on growth,flesh quality and antioxidant capacity of juvenile golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus

To investigate the effects of dietary vitamin C on growth, flesh quality and antioxidant capacity of juvenile golden pompano Trachinotus ovatus, a 56‐day feeding trial with five graded levels of dietary VC (D1: 11.69, D2: 34.89, D3: 59.10, D4: 114.26 and D5: 227.93 mg VC per kg of diet) was performed on 375 fish (triplicate groups of 25 fish per diet, initial weight 13.57 ± 0.09 g). Results showed that fish of D3 group exhibited the maximum specific growth rate (SGR) and the highest liver enzymatic activities of catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐PX), which were consistent with the expression levels of cat and gsh‐px. Besides, the D3 group also showed higher contents of protein and lipid, and lower cooking loss, drip loss and malondialdehyde content in muscle than D1 group. The docosahexaenoic acid proportion in muscle increased with increasing dietary VC levels. Furthermore, the lowest expression levels of carnitine palmitoyltransferase1 (cpt1) and peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor α (pparα) were detected in livers of D3 group. The optimum dietary VC level was 49.73 mg/kg from the broken‐line analysis based on the SGR, in which better growth performance, antioxidative ability and flesh quality were observed in T. ovatus juveniles.     

Possible involvement of PKC/MAPK pathway in the regulation of GnRH by dietary arachidonic acid in the brain of male tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis

Our previous studies have indicated that dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) significantly affects the gonadal steroidogenesis in the marine teleost tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis, and this effect was more positive in male fish than in female fish (Aquaculture, 468, 378–385). As a following up study, the present study was further aimed at investigating the possible mechanisms in the brain mediating the effects of dietary ARA on gonadal steroidogenesis. A 70‐day feed trial was repeated with two‐year‐old tongue sole, using three experimental diets with graded levels of ARA, 0.34%, 2.53%, and 9.63% of total fatty acids. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of 23 fish (15 males and 8 females). The results confirmed the positive effect of dietary ARA on testosterone production in male fish. The concentration of gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) in serum responded to dietary ARA in a similar pattern with the testosterone concentration, but the concentration of gonadotrophin in serum was not affected by dietary ARA. The response of gene expression of PKCβ, ARRB1, ARRB2, ERK2 and ATF3 in the brain to dietary ARA was in good agreement with those of GnRH and testosterone, indicating the possible involvement of PKC‐ARRB‐ERK‐ATF3 pathway in signalling transduction of GnRH. However, the PI3K/Akt and TLR/NF‐κB pathways may not be directly involved in the regulation of GnRH metabolism by ARA. This is the first study reporting the possible involvement of PKC/MAPK pathways in regulation of reproductive endocrine processes by long‐chain polyunsaturated fatty acid in brain of marine fish.     

黄麻土工布覆盖对花岗岩红壤表土坡面侵蚀特性的影响

[目的]探究黄麻土工布覆盖条件下花岗岩红壤表土坡面侵蚀特性,为花岗岩红壤区坡面土壤侵蚀防治提供科学依据。[方法]通过室内模拟降雨试验,在2个坡度(5°和15°坡度)、3种密度(无覆盖,6 cm×6 cm及3 cm×3 cm网格)的黄麻土工布覆盖条件下,研究极端降雨条件下(90 mm/h)花岗岩红壤表土的坡面侵蚀特性,并观测径流系数、土壤侵蚀速率、泥沙颗粒变化规律及富集率等指标。[结果]坡面径流随降雨历时增加而增加,土壤侵蚀速率则相反,表明侵蚀过程是一个分离受限的过程。和对照组相比,黄麻土工布覆盖在不同试验条件下都具有明显的减流减沙作用。另外,由侵蚀泥沙的粒径分选规律可知,坡面土壤中的黏粒和粉粒大小的颗粒倾向于被优先选择性搬运,其结果致使坡面石英粗颗粒富集,在缓坡(5°)与高密度黄麻土工布覆盖条件下(3 cm×3 cm网格)尤为突出。坡面石英粗颗粒随降雨历时增加不断富集进一步增加了原位坡面的侵蚀抗性,产生了土壤侵蚀速率随降雨历时不断降低的现象。[结论]高密度黄麻土工布的覆盖能够有效地减流减沙,增加原位坡面抗蚀性,是一种有效的水土保持措施,在今后的土壤侵蚀防治和劣地恢复工作中应该被重视。     

不同坡位条件对毛乌素沙地长柄扁桃林地土壤水分的影响

[目的]揭示半干旱区固定沙丘不同坡位条件下土壤水分空间变化规律,为固定沙丘土壤水分合理利用提供决策依据。[方法]在毛乌素沙漠东南缘陕西省神木市生态协会毛乌素治沙造林基地,以固定沙丘12 a龄人工长柄扁桃林地为研究对象,建立土壤水分定位观测小区,使用CNC503DR型中子仪对2018年7—10月0—300 cm土层土壤水分进行测定,并分析不同坡位条件下长柄扁桃林地生长季土壤水分时空变化特征。[结果](1)坡顶与坡上0—300 cm土壤剖面含水量随土层深度的增加呈先增加后减小,之后趋于稳定的变化趋势,而坡中(上、下)与坡底表现为类似S形的变化规律,土壤含水量表现为:坡底坡中(上)坡上≥坡顶坡中(下);(2)坡底土壤含水量表现出强变异性,其他4种坡位条件下为中等变异;(3)不同坡位条件下蒸散发表现为:坡底坡顶坡中(下)坡上坡中(上),坡上属强变异,而坡底则表现出中等变异且变异系数最小。[结论]不同坡位条件对固定沙丘土壤水分及蒸散耗水具有重要影响,坡底土壤含水量及蒸散发量均最大,且具有较强的不稳定性。     

黄河未来输沙量态势及其适用性对策

[目的] 探索黄河输沙预测的新思路，预估黄河未来输沙态势与输沙量水平，为黄河流域生态治理规划提供参考。[方法] 结合黄河流域水土保持生态修复现状，采用单累积曲线法、滑动平均及频率分析方法，分析1950—2019年黄河主要来沙区间的实测输沙量变化特征及其未来态势。[结果] 1950—2019年黄河输沙量呈现阶梯式减少。1950—2019年黄河中游各站累积实测输沙量随时间的变化可用“左半抛物线”表征。黄河输沙量自1997年以来已进入相对稳定态势，目前已达企稳状态；黄河潼关站未来年输沙量在90%频率下为1.00×10⁸ t左右，在10%频率下为5.00×10⁸ t左右，未来多年平均输沙量为1.40×10⁸ t。[结论] 为了维持黄河输沙量低稳状态，提升水土保持措施质量与标准，补齐“后水土保持”短板，构建完善的水沙关系调控体系，维持黄河下游河道冲淤平衡，是黄河流域生态保护与高质量发展的保障。