Effects of adding sucrose on Penaeus monodon (Fabricius, 1798) growth performance and water quality in a biofloc system

A 60‐day indoor growth trial was conducted to study the effects of biofloc on the growth performance of a Penaeus monodon (Fabricius, 1798), water quality and biological indicators including biofloc volume, chlorophyll‐a, heterotrophic bacteria and Bacillus quantity. Two concentrations of sucrose (0 and 75%) were added daily to the P. monodon culture systems (2.94 ± 0.11 g), which were conducted indoors in fibre‐glass tanks (500 L). Results showed that the final body weight and weight gain of the adding 75% sucrose group were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that of the control, as well as significantly (P < 0.05) improved specific growth rates and survival rates, and reduced feed coefficient. Adding 75% sucrose promoted heterotrophic bacteria, Bacillus and phytoplankton reproduction, and significantly (P < 0.05) reduced the concentration of ammonia‐N (NH₄‐N), nitrite‐N (NO₂‐N) and nitrate‐N (NO₃‐N). The changes of water quality indicators in the two groups showed the similar trend at the end of the experiment, and the ammonia‐N, nitrite‐N, nitrate‐N and phosphate‐P concentrations in the 75% sucrose group were significantly (P < 0.05) lower than those of the control group, Chlorophyll‐a concentrations peaked at 389.12 μg/L in the biofloc sucrose group at 18:00 h, and heterotrophic bacteria peaked 8 h after sucrose was added. The addition of sucrose also reduced the pH of the water. Our research showed that adding sucrose promoted biofloc formation and shortened the formation time; increased the number of heterotrophic bacteria and algae which might play a role in improving water quality by assimilating ammonia‐N and other harmful substances in the water; supplemented food for P monodon growth; and reduced the feed coefficient.     

北方设施条件下辣木及改良品种生长差异性分析

北方地区利用温室栽培辣木(Moringa oleifera Lam.)及其2个改良品种‘PKM1’和‘PKM2’,通过分析表观生长量、养分含量以及光合特性等指标的差异性,筛选适宜北方温室种植的辣木品种。结果表明:PKM1的高生长和增粗生长均显著快于辣木和PKM2(p0.05),在定干前(71 d)三者平均株高依次为115.7、80.2、81.0 cm,地径依次达17.47、13.27、15.08 mm。植株养分季节变化,PKM1养分状况要优于辣木和PKM2,在5月份,PKM1叶片中全氮(44.32 mg/g)、全钾(12.73 mg/g)含量显著高于其它2个品种(p0.05),全磷和可溶性糖含量品种间无显著性差异;7月份,PKM1可溶性糖显著高于其它2个品种;光合特性分析,3个品种在弱光条件下的光量子利用效率及光补偿能力差异不显著(p0.05),随着光强增加,光量子的转化能力出现显著性差异,PKM1的最大净光合速率(A_(max))显著高于辣木和PKM2(p0.05),最高达23.84μmol CO_2/(m~2·s)。可见,北方设施条件下,PKM1的生长速度、养分状况、光合能力均表现最好,较适宜北方温室栽培。     

Effect of dietary protein content on growth rate,survival and body composition of juvenile cauque river prawn,Macrobrachium americanum (Bate 1868)

We determined the effect of four concentrations of dietary crude protein, 30.7, 37.2, 41.8 and 46.8% on growth rate, survival and body composition of the juvenile cauque river prawn (Macrobrachium americanum). The prawns were hatched in the laboratory from the spawn of one wild ovigerous female. Prawns consuming 37.2% crude protein reached a final weight of 0.58 g (feed conversion ratio of 2.15), which was significantly better than the other treatments. Survival was 100% in all treatments. Protein content in the diets had no significant effect on whole body proximate composition and amino acid profile. Juveniles consuming the 37.2% crude protein diet grew faster than those fed the other diets. Specific growth rate was adjusted to the two‐slope broken‐line regression analysis model to estimate the optimal protein requirement. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that the 37.2% protein level diet is optimal for juvenile cauque river prawn M. americanum in the experimental conditions of this study.     

Growth and economic analysis of freshwater prawn,Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man), produced with feeds substituting sunflower cake for fish meal,soya bean meal and mustard oil cake

A feeding trial with Macrobrachium rosenbergii was carried out to test the effectiveness of sunflower cake (SFC) as a replacement for conventional protein sources. Four isonitrogenous (~30% crude protein) and isocaloric (388–402 kcal) diets were formulated. Diet‐1 was a control made with conventional ingredients including fish meal, soya bean meal and mustard oil cake. Diet‐2, Diet‐3 and Diet‐4 were made with 30%, 40% and 50% SFC, respectively, replacing the usual protein sources used in Diet‐1. After 100 days, diets with SFC inclusion showed favourable growth and economic performance trends compared to control diet‐1, but without significant differences (p > .05). Better production (572.89 ± 62.99 kg/ha) was observed with Diet‐4 followed by Diet‐2, Diet‐3 and Diet‐1. Diet‐4 revealed the best feed conversion ratio (2.56 ± 0.24), specific growth rate (1.18 ± 0.05) and protein efficiency ratio (1.14 ± 0.10) among these diets. Whole carcass composition analysis revealed highest crude protein (18.19%) and lipid (4.43%) content in prawns fed Diet‐3 followed by Diet‐4. Highest total income, gross margin and benefit cost ratio (BCR) per hectare from prawns were US$5,759, US$2,623 and 1.84, respectively, found in Diet‐4. This study demonstrates that 30%–50% inclusion of SFC has favourable impacts on productivity and profitability compared with controls, with 50% SFC inclusion as the most cost‐effective diet for prawns without apparent compromise in growth, flesh quality or economics. The performances of the diets suggest that SFC may be a suitable substitute for fishmeal, soya bean meal and mustard oil cake in prawn feed. The effectiveness of higher SFC concentrations should also be investigated.     

High dietary energy level stimulates growth hormone receptor and feed utilization in large Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) under hypoxic conditions

This study examines how appetite and growth regulation of Atlantic salmon are affected by low dissolved oxygen (LO) and dietary digestible energy levels (DE: high [HE] vs. low [LE]). Long‐term exposure to LO resulted in a reduced feed intake, growth, digestible protein and fat retention efficiencies and increased feed conversation ratio and plasma ghrelin concentrations (p < .05) compared to high dissolved oxygen (HO). Pair‐feeding of rations based on the feed intake of the LO groups, but fed at HO, resulted in a 50% growth improvement in HE diet groups. This suggests that the poor growth under LO was not entirely caused by the reduced feed intake. Salmon adapted to LO by increased haemoglobin concentrations, while osmoregulation was affected by increased plasma chloride concentrations (p < .05). Plasma ghrelin concentration was unaffected by DE (p > .05). Growth regulation was affected by the HE diet, with increased liver and muscle growth hormone receptor ghr1 mRNA (p < .05), regardless of oxygen level. The growth depression due to low oxygen appears to be related to higher metabolic costs, while higher DE upregulates the GH‐IGF system at the ghr1 level and found to be beneficial for growth, feed intake, oxyregulation and osmoregulation under hypoxia.     

Effects of Panax ginseng extract in practical diets for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) on growth performance,immune response and resistance to Yersinia ruckeri

In a preliminary in vitro study, a Panax ginseng extract exhibited an evident antibacterial activity against Yersinia ruckeri and Lactococcus garvieae and affected the respiratory burst and proliferation of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss leukocytes. Subsequently, the effects of a dietary ginseng extract supplementation on growth, blood biochemical profile, innate immune response and resistance against Y. ruckeri infection were investigated in vivo in rainbow trout juveniles. Four experimental diets were obtained by adding 0.0%, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.03% of ginseng ethanolic extract to a commercial feed. Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of fish (mean body weight 30.5 ± 0.15 g) at 1% of body weight day^?1 for 10 weeks. The dietary supplementation with ginseng extract did not affect growth performance, feed utilization, biometric traits and fish whole body composition (P > 0.05). No major changes due to graded levels of ginseng extract in the diet were observed in blood biochemical parameters except for increasing plasma triglycerides and non‐esterified fatty acids in fish fed diets including 0.01% and 0.02% of extract (P < 0.05). The innate immune response was barely modulated by the dietary addition of ginseng extract. Serum lysozyme and leukocytes respiratory burst activities were just slightly increased in fish fed all the ginseng extract‐supplemented diets compared with controls, whereas serum antiproteases and leukocyte MPO were not affected (P > 0.05). The dietary administration of ginseng extract induced a reduction in mortality of rainbow trout infected with Y. ruckeri, although no significant differences between treated and control groups were observed (P > 0.05).     

Effect of dietary phosphorus levels on growth and body composition of crucian carp,Carassius auratus under indoor and outdoor experiments

Indoor and outdoor experiments were carried out simultaneously to evaluate the effects of dietary phosphorus levels on growth performance and body composition of crucian carp. Monocalcium was used to formulate extruded feed containing available phosphorus (AP) of 1.5 (D1), 4.7 (D2), 6.3 (D3) and 9.0 (D4) g kg^?1. Twelve 500‐L recirculating tanks were assigned to four triplicate groups with each tank stocked with 15 juveniles (39.88 ± 0.14 g) for indoor experiment. Twelve polyethylene enclosures were assigned to four groups with each one stocked with 120 juveniles (44.08 ± 1.36 g). After 8 weeks of feeding, survival ranged from 96% to 100%. Weight gain, special growth rate, protein efficiency ratio and feed conversion rate did not show significant differences among dietary treatments in both experiments. Fish cultured in the enclosures grew better, although D1 and D2 treatments did not reach significant level. Crude protein and phosphorus content of the fish were not significantly affected by dietary phosphorus level. Moisture, crude lipid, crude ash and vertebrae phosphorus were significantly affected by different phosphorus levels. Based on vertebrae phosphorus, crucian carp cultured in the tanks and in the enclosures showed phosphorus deficiency under 4.7 g kg^?1 and 6.3 g kg^?1 AP, respectively.     

Effects of dietary protein and lipid levels with different protein‐to‐energy ratios on growth performance,feed utilization and body composition of juvenile red‐spotted grouper,Epinephelus akaara

An 8‐week feeding trial was conducted to assess dietary protein and lipid levels on growth performance, feed utilization and body composition of juvenile red‐spotted grouper (7.85 ± 0.03 g fish^?1). Nine semi‐purified diets were formulated containing varying protein levels (440–520 g kg^?1, dry matter) and lipid levels (60–120 g kg^?1, dry matter). The weight gain of juvenile Epinephelus akaara was affected by dietary protein (p = .005) and its interaction with dietary lipid (p = .020). Viscerosomatic index, intraperitoneal fat ratio and whole‐body lipid level increased with increasing dietary lipid level (p < .001). Nitrogen retention was not affected by dietary protein and lipid, while lipid retention decreased with increasing dietary lipid level (p < .001). The plasma blood urea nitrogen increased with increasing dietary protein level (p = .003). This study showed that diet with 520 g kg^?1 protein and 60 g kg^?1 lipid with 30.58 mg kJ^?1 P:E provided a maximal growth for this species. Moreover, an increase in dietary lipid levels (from 60 to 90 g kg^?1) could reduce the protein requirement (from 520 to 480 g kg^?1) without affecting the growth performance, while higher fat deposition was observed in fish fed high‐lipid diets.     

茶氨酸合成酶基因的SNP挖掘和遗传定位

茶氨酸合成酶(Theanine synthetase,TS)基因是茶树茶氨酸代谢过程中的关键酶基因。本研究以氨基酸含量差异明显的亲本及其杂交所得F_1子代为研究材料,克隆TS基因的c DNA序列,挖掘其SNPs位点,并成功将杂合SNP位点定位在遗传连锁群上。研究结果显示,通过序列比对在亲本间检测到3个SNPs,验证得到1个杂合的位点SNP735。将此位点成功转化为dCAPS标记,该标记在子代中的基因型分离比为1∶1,利用该群体已构建的茶树遗传图谱进行遗传定位,将dCAPS标记定位在连锁群LG03上,相邻标记为TM299和TM517。联合此标记及其相邻标记与游离氨基酸总含量和茶氨酸含量进行统计分析,表明具有显著的相关性。