Beneficial effects of dietary exogenous protease on the growth,intestinal health and immunity of GIFT (Oreochromis niloticus) fed plant‐based diets

This study investigated the effects of dietary exogenous protease on the growth performance, intestinal health, immune parameters and disease resistance of genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT, Oreochromis niloticus). Five test diets with commercial protease at the levels of 0, 1.38, 2.76, 5.52 and 11.04 U/g (named PE0, PE1, PE2, PE5 and PE11, respectively) were administered to triplicate tanks with 30 fish for 60 days, and then, the fish were challenged with Streptococcus agalactiae for 14 days. The results indicated that weight gain increased as exogenous protease increased from 0 to 5.52 U protease/g diet and then decreased significantly (p < .05) with a further increase in exogenous protease supplementation (p < .05). The height of the villi in the proximal intestine and distal intestine, the width of the villi in three segments of the intestine, and the thickness of the muscle layer in the proximal intestine and mid‐intestine (p < .05) were increased in the fish fed the PE5 diet. Immune and antioxidant indices (except malondialdehyde), and survival after challenged with S. agalactiae were higher in fish fed PE5 diets than in those fed other diets (p < .05). In conclusion, 5.52 U/g protease supplementation in a plant‐based diet could promote the growth performance, intestinal physical barrier function, innate immunity and S. agalactiae resistance of GIFT.     

Isolation and Characterization of Pepsin-Soluble Collagen from the Skin of Peru Squid (Dosidicus gigas)

Pepsin-soluble collagen (PSC) was isolated from Peru squid (Dosidicus gigas) skin and physicochemical properties of the PSC were determined. The PSC exhibited a maximum absorbance at 220 nm. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis suggested the collagen containing α1 and α2 chain was classified as type I collagen. Amino acid composition indicated that the collagen had lower amino acid content than that of mammalian collagen. Denaturation temperature (T_d) of the PSC was 26.8°C. The PSC had relatively high solubility in alkaline condition or NaCl concentrations below 2%. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy investigations showed the existence of helical arrangements of collagen. The lyophilized collagen had a uniform and regular network structure. These results suggested that Peru squid skin was a potential source of collagen for further research and application.     

PEG/Activated Carbon Phase Change Materials of Modified Asphalt

Phase change material modified asphalt is prepared by using PEG/activated carbon composite solid-solid phase change materials for asphalt modification. Phase change materials modified asphalt with different ratios are aged and treaded alterably at high or low temperature, and then its appearance is observed. The properties of the modified asphalt, such as ductility, softening point, etc., are tested by using electronic tensile testing machine and thermal mechanical analyzer. Experiments show that when the content of PEG/activated carbon phase change material is 20%, the ductility of modified asphalt is the best; when the content of phase change material is 15% to 20%, the softening point of modified asphalt is obviously improved.     

Effects of dietary sodium butyrate on growth,diet conversion,body chemical compositions and distal intestinal health in yellow drum (Nibea albiflora,Richardson)

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of sodium butyrate (SB) on the physical barrier function, pro‐inflammatory response and possible underlying mechanisms in the distal intestine (DI) of yellow drum when fed a high‐SBM diet. Three iso‐proteic and iso‐lipidic diets were formulated with fish meal (FM, the control), 45% fish meal protein replaced by SBM (SBM) and 45% fish meal protein replaced by SBM but supplemented with 0.15% SB (SBM + SB). Fish were fed twice daily for 10 weeks. Results indicated that SB supplementation significantly increased the specific growth rate (SGR) and feed efficiency ratio (FER) and methionine content of muscle when compared with those of fish fed the SBM diet (p < .05). The morphologic histology results showed that SB dramatically improved the physical barrier structure, characterized as increases of fold height (FH) and muscular thickness (MT) (p < .05). RT‐qPCR data were accordant with morphologic histology results, in which claudin 3, claudin 4 and occludin were increased while claudin 7 and myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) mRNA expression levels were decreased (p < .05). Sodium butyrate also exerted anti‐inflammatory function, which may be attributed to the suppression of nucleus p65 protein expression. Results suggest SB can be incorporated in high‐SBM diets to ameliorate the negative consequences of alternative dietary ingredients on yellow drum physiology.     

Effects of stocking density on the survival,growth and physical injury of Marsupenaeus japonicus juveniles in a flowing water aquaculture system

Stocking density is a biotic factor affecting the production of cultivated animals in aquaculture. Herein, a rearing trial was conducted to investigate the impact of stocking density on the survival, growth performance and physical injury of Marsupenaeus japonicus juveniles in a flowing water aquaculture system. Five stocking densities were examined in this study, that is, 10, 20, 40, 80 and 160 individuals/m². Throughout the experiment, ammonia nitrogen and nitrite concentrations ranged from 0.02 ± 0.006 mg/L to 0.08 ± 0.035 mg/L and 0.002 ± 0.001 mg/L to 0.076 ± 0.021 mg/L respectively. The survival rate, specific growth rate (SGR), weight gain (WG), absolute growth rate (AGR) and coefficient of variation for weight (CV) across the stocking densities ranged from 90.38 ± 3.20% to 94.33 ± 4.73%, 1.42 ± 0.16%/day to 1.53 ± 0.05%/day, 1.09 ± 0.19 g to 1.15 ± 0.16 g, 0.018 ± 0.003 g/day to 0.019 ± 0.004 g/day and 16.21 ± 5.78% to 35.09 ± 10.68% respectively. Within the investigated densities, the survival rate and the abovementioned growth parameters were not significantly (p > .05) affected by the stocking density, consequently, a higher stocking density resulted in a significantly (p < .05) greater final biomass. The results regarding physical injury showed that the antennal breakage rate displayed a tendency of a positive correlation with the stocking density. Overall, the current study provides basic data for establishing a viable intensive farming system for M. japonicus and a promising indicator for easily assessing the crowding stress status of M. japonicus.     

天津港口疏浚淤泥悬浮物对海洋动物的急性毒性效应

研究了不同浓度的悬浮物对鲈鱼和梭鱼幼体的毒性效应。实验结果表明:疏浚淤泥悬浮相对其效应明显。21℃和24℃试验水温时,悬浮物对鲈鱼幼苗的急性毒性实验结果分别为:96hLC50为1 711.2mg/L、1 052.8mg/L;安全浓度分别为:171.12、105.28mg/L;悬浮物对梭鱼幼苗的急性毒性实验结果分别为:96h LC50为453.6、168.1mg/L;安全浓度分别为:45.36、16.81mg/L。随温度、悬浮物浓度的升高,毒性效应呈增强趋势。     

Effects of dietary copper sources on growth,tissue copper accumulation and physiological responses of Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus) (Cuvier, 1828) fed semipurified or practical diets

An 8‐week trial was conducted to compare the efficacy of a chelated copper (Cu) with the inorganic Cu (CuSO₄), in the diet of Japanese sea bass (Lateolabrax japonicus). Six diets were prepared based on two basal diets (semi‐purified or practical) at two Cu inclusion levels (0 and 4 mg kg^?1 from or chelated‐Cu), accordingly named as S0, SI4, SM4, P0, PI4 and PM4 respectively. Each diet was fed to quadruplicate groups of Japanese sea bass (initial weight: 65.0 ± 0.03 g) during the trial. Fish fed practical diets had higher feed intake, specific growth rate, protein efficiency rate (PER), liver Cu accumulation, liver Na⁺K⁺‐ATPase and plasma alkaline phosphatase, but lower hepatosomatic index than the groups fed semi‐purified diets (P < 0.05). Higher PER was exhibited by fish fed chelated‐Cu diets than that of fish fed CuSO₄ diets (P < 0.05). Although liver Cu accumulation was significantly higher in fish fed practical diets,, liver Cu content increased significantly with increasing dietary copper levels only in fish fed semipurified diets. Chelated‐Cu has higher efficiency than CuSO₄ when fed in practical diets. Poor growth performance of fish fed semipurified diets might induce underestimating the nutrient requirement of Japanese sea bass.     

Production of inbred larvae through self‐fertilization using oocytes and cryopreserved sperm from the same individuals after sex reversal in eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica

The eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica can change sex which makes self‐fertilization possible if sperm can be cryopreserved. In this study, small (~1 year old) and large (~2–3 years old) oysters were biopsied for sperm collection. Survival of the biopsied oysters after 1 year was 50% for small oysters and 17% for large oysters. Oocytes were collected from sex‐reversed females, and self‐fertilized with cryopreserved sperm. Of the 24 cryopreserved samples, 14 individuals had ≤1% fertility when crossed with oocytes from unrelated females, indicating that the cryopreserved sperm had reduced fertility. The other 10 individuals had a fertility of 39 ± 25% when crossed with oocytes from unrelated females (non‐selfing), but showed a significantly lower success of self‐fertilization (12 ± 16%) (P = 0.008), while aliquots of the same oocytes had a fertilization of 83 ± 11% when crossing with fresh sperm. Larvae were produced at day 3 in the self‐fertilized families (12–94% of the fertilized oocytes), and survived to eyed‐larvae stage at days 11–14. Genotyping with 9 microsatellite markers confirmed that the larvae resulted from self‐fertilization in four families. This study demonstrated the feasibility of creating self‐fertilized inbred lines of oysters by use of non‐lethal sperm collection and cryopreservation.