The effects of feeding rates in juvenile Korean rockfish, (Sebastes schlegeli) reared at 17 °C and 20 °C water temperatures

Two feeding trials were conducted to determine the effects of feeding rates in juvenile Korean rockfish, (Sebastes schlegeli) reared at 17 and 20 °C water temperature. Fish averaging 5.5 ± 0.2 g (mean ± SD) at 17 °C and 5.5 ± 0.3 g (mean ± SD) at 20 °C water temperature were randomly distributed into 18 indoor tanks. At each water temperature, triplicate tanks were randomly assigned to one of six different feeding rates: 2.8, 3.8, 4.1, 4.4, 4.7 % and satiation (4.99 % BW day^?1) at 17 °C and 2.8, 3.8, 4.1, 4.4, 4.7 % and satiation (5.0 % BW day^?1) at 20 °C. After 4 weeks of feeding trial, weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate of fish fed groups at satiation and 4.7 % (BW day^?1) were significantly higher than those of fish fed groups at 2.8, 3.8 and 4.4 % (BW day^?1) in both 17 and 20 °C temperature. Feed efficiency and protein efficiency ratio of fish fed group at 2.8 % (BW day^?1) was significantly lower than those of fish fed groups at 3.8, 4.1, 4.4 and 4.7 % (BW day^?1) in both experiments. Hematocrit was significantly higher in fish fed group at 4.4 % (BW day^?1) at 17 °C, and there was no significant difference in hemoglobin content amongst all fish fed groups at 20 °C. Glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase and glutamic pyruvic transaminase of the fish fed group at 2.8 % (BW day^?1) were significantly higher than those of all other fish fed groups in both experiments. Broken line regression analysis of WG indicated that the optimum feeding rate of juvenile Korean rockfish was 4.48 % (BW day^?1) at 17 °C and 4.83 % (BW day^?1) at 20 °C. Therefore, these results indicated that the optimum feeding rate could be >4.1 % but <4.48 % at 17 °C and >4.4 % but <4.83 % at 20 °C. As we expected, current results have indicated that 5 g of juvenile Korean rockfish perform better at 17 °C than at 20 °C water temperature.     

Optimum dietary protein and lipid levels for juvenile rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli,Hilgendorf 1880)

Optimum dietary protein and lipid levels for juvenile rockfish were determined. Eight hundred and ten juvenile fish averaging 3.22 g were randomly chosen and distributed into 27 flow‐through tanks of 50 L (30 fish per tank). Nine experimental diets were prepared according to a 3 × 3 factorial experimental design: three crude protein levels (45%, 50% and 55%) × three crude lipid levels (11%, 15% and 19%). Crude protein and crude lipid levels increased at the expense of dextrin and cellulose in the experimental diets. Survival of fish was not affected by either dietary protein or lipid level. Weight gain of fish was affected by dietary protein level, but not by dietary lipid level. Weight gain of fish fed the 50P‐15L (50% protein and 15% lipid) diet was higher than that of fish fed the 45% protein diets regardless of lipid level, but not different from that of fish fed the 50P‐11L (50% protein and 11% lipid), 50P‐19L (50% protein and 19% lipid), 55P‐11L (55% protein and 11% lipid), 55P‐15L (55% protein and 15% lipid) and 55P‐19L (55% protein and 19% lipid) diets. Feed consumption of fish was affected by dietary protein level, but not by dietary lipid levels. Feed efficiency ratio (FER) of fish was affected by dietary protein level, but not by dietary lipid level. Protein efficiency ratio (PER) of fish was affected by dietary protein level, but not by dietary lipid level. Nitrogen retention efficiency (NRE) of fish fed the 45P‐19L diet was higher than that of fish fed the 45P‐11L, 50P‐11L, 50P‐15L, 50P‐19L, 55P‐11L, 55P‐15L and 55P‐19L diets, but not different from that of fish fed the 45P‐15L diet. Moisture, crude protein and crude lipid contents of fish was affected by dietary protein and/or lipid level. Plasma triglyceride of fish was affected by dietary lipid level, but not by dietary protein level. In conclusion, optimum protein and lipid levels for growth and feed utilization (PER and NRE) for juvenile rockfish were 50% and 15%, and 45% and 19%, respectively, and the optimum dietary protein‐to‐energy ratio of 27.4 and 23.9 mg protein kJ^?1.     

Effect of SRI methods on water use,NPS pollution discharge,and GHG emission in Korean trials

Paddy and Water Environment - A field experiment with a locally-bred Japonica rice cultivar was conducted in 2011 to measure the effect of paddy irrigation management in Korea on rice yield, water...     

Polyphenol-Rich Fraction of Ecklonia cava Improves Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in High Fat Diet-Fed Mice

Ecklonia cava (E. cava; CA) is an edible brown alga with beneficial effects in diabetes via regulation of various metabolic processes such as lipogenesis, lipolysis, inflammation, and the antioxidant defense system in liver and adipose tissue. We investigated the effect of the polyphenol-rich fraction of E. cava produced from Gijang (G-CA) on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. C57BL6 mice were fed a HFD for six weeks and then the HFD group was administered 300 mg/kg of G-CA extracts by oral intubation for 10 weeks. Body weight, fat mass, and serum biochemical parameters were reduced by G-CA extract treatment. MRI/MRS analysis showed that liver fat and liver volume in HFD-induced obese mice were reduced by G-CA extract treatment. Further, we analyzed hepatic gene expression related to inflammation and lipid metabolism. The mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines and hepatic lipogenesis-related genes were decreased in G-CA-treated HFD mice. The mRNA expression levels of cholesterol 7 alpha-hydroxylase 1 (CYP7A1), the key enzyme in bile acid synthesis, were dramatically increased by G-CA treatment in HFD mice. We suggest that G-CA treatment ameliorated hepatic steatosis by inhibiting inflammation and improving lipid metabolism.     

Fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus Protects against Alcohol-Induced Liver Damage by Modulating Inflammatory Mediators in Mice and HepG2 Cells

Fucoidan is an l-fucose-enriched sulfated polysaccharide isolated from brown algae and marine invertebrates. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of fucoidan from Fucus vesiculosus on alcohol-induced murine liver damage. Liver injury was induced by oral administration of 25% alcohol with or without fucoidan (30 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg) for seven days. Alcohol administration increased serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, but these increases were suppressed by the treatment of fucoidan. Transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), a liver fibrosis-inducing factor, was highly expressed in the alcohol-fed group and human hepatoma HepG2 cell; however, the increase in TGF-β1 expression was reduced following fucoidan administration. Treatment with fucoidan was also found to significantly reduce the production of inflammation-promoting cyclooygenase-2 and nitric oxide, while markedly increasing the expression of the hepatoprotective enzyme, hemeoxygenase-1, on murine liver and HepG2 cells. Taken together, the antifibrotic and anti-inflammatory effects of fucoidan on alcohol-induced liver damage may provide valuable insights into developing new therapeutics or interventions.     

The Cytoprotective Effect of Petalonia binghamiae Methanol Extract against Oxidative Stress in C2C12 Myoblasts: Mediation by Upregulation of Heme Oxygenase-1 and Nuclear Factor-Erythroid 2 Related Factor 2

This study was designed to examine the protective effects of the marine brown algae Petalonia binghamiae against oxidative stress-induced cellular damage and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. P. binghamiae methanol extract (PBME) prevented hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-induced growth inhibition and exhibited scavenging activity against intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by H₂O₂ in mouse-derived C2C12 myoblasts. PBME also significantly attenuated H₂O₂-induced comet tail formation in a comet assay, histone γH2A.X phosphorylation, and annexin V-positive cells, suggesting that PBME prevented H₂O₂-induced cellular DNA damage and apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, PBME increased the levels of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a potent antioxidant enzyme, associated with the induction of nuclear factor-erythroid 2 related factor 2 (Nrf2). However, zinc protoporphyrin IX, a HO-1 competitive inhibitor, significantly abolished the protective effects of PBME on H₂O₂-induced ROS generation, growth inhibition, and apoptosis. Collectively, these results demonstrate that PBME augments the antioxidant defense capacity through activation of the Nrf2/HO-1 pathway.     

Eunicellin-Based Diterpenoids,Hirsutalins S–V,from the Formosan Soft Coral Cladiella hirsuta

Four new eunicellin-type hirsutalins S–V (1–4), along with a known compound (–)-6α-hydroxy polyanthellin A (5), were isolated from the soft coral Cladiella hirsuta. The structures of the metabolites were determined by extensive spectroscopic analysis. Cytotoxity of compounds 1–5 against the proliferation of a limited panel of cancer cell lines was measured. Anti-inflammatory activity of compounds 1–5 was evaluated by measuring their ability in suppressing superoxide anion generation and elastase release in fMLP/CB-induced human neutrophils.     

First Evidence that Ecklonia cava-Derived Dieckol Attenuates MCF-7 Human Breast Carcinoma Cell Migration

We investigated the effect of Ecklonia cava (E. cava)-derived dieckol on movement behavior and the expression of migration-related genes in MCF-7 human breast cancer cell. Phlorotannins (e.g., dieckol, 6,6′-biecko, and 2,7″-phloroglucinol-6,6′-bieckol) were purified from E. cava by using centrifugal partition chromatography. Among the phlorotannins, we found that dieckol inhibited breast cancer cell the most and was selected for further study. Radius™-well was used to assess cell migration, and dieckol (1–100 µM) was found to suppress breast cancer cell movement. Metastasis-related gene expressions were evaluated by RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. In addition, dieckol inhibited the expression of migration-related genes such as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). On the other hand, it stimulated the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 and TIMP-2. These results suggest that dieckol exerts anti-breast cancer activity via the regulation of the expressions of metastasis-related genes, and this is the first report on the anti-breast cancer effect of dieckol.     

Development of a multiplex PCR system for the simultaneous detection of white spot syndrome virus and hepatopancreatic parvovirus infection

A multiplex PCR kit for simultaneous detection of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) and hepatopancreatic parvovirus (HPV) was developed and field testing was conducted. A 604‐bp target sequence was selected from the vp28 gene of WSSV. A primer set was developed to amplify a 338‐bp DNA fragment at the junction of the NS2 and NS1 protein genes of HPV after alignment of eight sequences from different strains. Another internal positive control primer set produced a 139‐bp PCR fragment from the β‐actin gene by alignment of this gene from Litopenaeus vannamei, Fenneropenaeus chinensis and Penaeus monodon. The detection limits, tested using purified plasmids, for WSSV and HPV were 21.4 and 19.0 copies respectively. The optimum ratio for HPV, WSSV and β‐actin was 3:1:1, with an optimum annealing temperature of 57°C. Field test of the multiplex PCR with 170 L. vannamei individuals from 17 aquaculture farms showed 41.8% coinfection with WSSV and HPV, and 40.0% and 3.5% single infection with WSSV and HPV respectively. No virus‐free shrimp farm was found. Ten wild catch F. chinensis individuals showed 60% coinfection, and 40% were infected with HPV.