Direct plant regeneration from mature leaf explants of pistachio, Pistacia vera L.

A protocol was developed for direct shoot and plantlet regeneration from in vitro regenerated leaf explants of male Pistacia vera L. cv. ‘Atl?’. Leaves excised from axenic shoot cultures of pistachio were used to induce organogenesis on a Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with Gamborg vitamins supplemented with combinations of different concentrations of BAP and IAA. The highest adventitious shoot regeneration in 35% of the explants, with the number of shoots ranging from 2 to 3 per explant, occurred in the explants cultured during the establishment phase in the medium with 1 mg l⁻¹ IAA and 2 mg l⁻¹ BAP. For shoot multiplication, the highest number of new microshoot/explants (5.76) was obtained in a culture medium supplemented with 1 mg l⁻¹ BAP, but it was not significantly different from the number obtained at 2 mg l⁻¹ BAP. A high rooting frequency (84%) for microshoots was recorded on a medium supplemented with 2 mg l⁻¹ IBA. In vitro rooted plantlets were transferred to pots filled with a mixture of soil, sand and peat (1:1:1). They were weaned in a growth room and finally moved to a greenhouse. This protocol could be utilized for in vitro clonal propagation of this economically important plant.     

Lactobacillus spp. bacteria as probiotics in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata, L.) larvae: Effects on growth performance and digestive enzyme activities

In this study, the influence of commercial probiotic, Lactobacillus spp., supplementation was investigated on growth parameters and digestive enzyme activities in gilthead sea bream, Sparus aurata, during larval development. All experiments were triplicated and designed in three different administrations of probiotic from 3 days after hatching (DAH) concurrently with starting of exogenous feeding. In the first group, probiotic was added to live food (rotifer and Artemia). In the second group, probiotic was supplemented directly to both live food and water. In the third group, probiotic was added directly to water. Also, no probiotic treatment was maintained in control group. Total bacterial counts among probiotic probiotic-supplemented groups were significantly different from total bacterial counts in controls in water and digestive tract of larvae (p < 0.05). The mean of total bacterial counts in control was approximately 4 × 10⁴-fold increased from the experimental groups in the sea water (p < 0.05). Besides, mean digestive enzyme activities of all probiotics treatment groups were significantly different (p < 0.05) with that of the control. Except probiotic water supplementation group, in all treatments, the specific activities of pancreatic and intestinal enzymes were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in larvae to which probiotic had been supplemented by live food and live food with water. Also, S. aurata larvae that had probiotic administered by live food with water demonstrated significant (p < 0.05) increases in both survival (13–105% higher) and specific growth rate (2–9% higher) as compared to controls. As a result, supplementation of probiotic to directly tank water could not significantly increase growth parameters and digestive enzyme activities and therefore, administration of probiotics by this method would not be effective in terms of husbandry parameters and nutritional condition.     

Effects of Different Dietary Lipid Sources on the Survival, Growth, and Fatty Acid Composition of South American Catfish, Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum, Surubim, Juveniles

The present study examines the effect of four semi‐purified diets (casein–gelatin based) where the source of fatty acids was free (esterified) oleic acid and linoleic acid (LA) (LOA diet), linseed and olive oil (predominantly LA and linolenic acid) (LO diet), cod liver oil (rich in highly unsaturated fatty acids) (CLO diet), and soybean lecithin (phospholipids; mostly LA) (LE diet) on the growth of juvenile South American catfish (surubim, Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum, Pimelodidae) (0.98 ± 0.04 g individual weight). Fish were fed at a restricted–readjusted feeding rate for 8 wk. At the end of the experiment, LE‐diet‐fed fish grew significantly larger than those of the other three groups (P < 0.05). Considerable cannibalism was observed in all the treatments. It is suggested that the quantitative growth performance may possibly change under other conditions, with less or no cannibalism. Survival did not differ significantly among the fish fed four different diets. Muscle and liver lipid contents did not vary among dietary treatments (P > 0.05), but whole‐body lipid concentrations were affected by dietary treatments. Fish fed LE diet contained significantly lower lipid level than those fed three other diets (P < 0.05). Muscle and liver fatty acid profiles reflected dietary fatty acid composition. Arachidonic acid level was significantly higher in muscle and liver of fish fed LOA and LE diets than in those fed LO and CLO diets. The results suggest that the efficiency of elongation and desaturation of 18C fatty acids depends on the dietary lipid source, and South American catfish has considerable capacity to transform linoleate to arachidonate.