Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology
Frequently, stranded sea turtles require rehabilitation under controlled conditions. Currently, f... more Frequently, stranded sea turtles require rehabilitation under controlled conditions. Currently, few publications have described the conditions under which rehabilitation is to take place, particularly with respect to the hatchling life stage. To address this paucity of data, we conducted some experiments to assist rehabilitating facilities assess their handling of hatchlings. While in captivity, hatchlings are routinely handled, for example, for data collection and cleaning. Standardization of handling and housing protocols is necessary to define the most adequate rearing conditions to maintain hatchling welfare. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to assess plasma circulating corticosterone (Cort) concentration and growth, as a biomarker for the stress of hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) under controlled conditions. We performed two experiments to analyze handling frequency and stocking density. In both, Cort was measured and correlated with variations in anima...
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary vitamin E on gilthead seabream... more The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary vitamin E on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) growth and survival, at two different highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) levels. Eighteen days old gilthead seabream larvae were fed four formulated ...
Skin mucus is considered the first barrier against diseases in fish. The skin mucus protein profi... more Skin mucus is considered the first barrier against diseases in fish. The skin mucus protein profile of the greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) and its changes due to experimental infection with Neobenedenia girellae were studied by combining 2-DE-MS/MS and gel-free LC-MS/MS proteomic approaches. The 2-DE results led to the identification of 69 and 55 proteins in noninfected and infected fish, respectively, and revealed that keratins were specifically cleaved in parasitized fish. Therefore, the skin mucus of the infected fish showed a higher protease activity due to, at least in part, an increase of metal-dependent protease and serine-type protease activities. Additionally, through a gel-free LC-MS/MS analysis, 1377 and 1251 different proteins were identified in the skin mucus of healthy and parasitized fish, respectively. The functional analysis of these proteins demonstrated a statistical overrepresentation of ribosomal proteins (a well-known source of antimicrobial peptides) in N. girellae-infected fish. In contrast, the components of membranes and protein transport GO categories were underrepresented after infection. Immune system process-related proteins constituted 2.5% of the total skin mucosal proteins. Among these skin mucosal proteins, 14 and 15 proteins exclusive to non-parasitized and parasitized fish were found, respectively, including specific serine-type proteases and metalloproteases in the parasitized fish. Moreover, the finding of tryptic peptides exclusive to some bacterial genera, obtained by gel-free LC-MS/MS, allowed us to construct a preliminary map of the microbiota living in the mucus of S. dumerili, with Pseudomonas and Paracoccus the most represented genera in both noninfected and infected fish.
Abstract Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is a promising new aquaculture species, however with some bo... more Abstract Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is a promising new aquaculture species, however with some bottlenecks to high-scale commercial production. One of those constraints are the scarce information about its nutritional requirements, which difficult the production of optimized diets and can lead to pathological alterations in liver, such as hepatic steatosis. Furthermore, meagre production is widely affected by granulomatosis, an infectious or non-infectious disease that may compromise fish performance and appearance. The cause of non-infectious granulomatosis is still unclear, but nutritional deficiencies are potential explanations. Since essential fatty acids are nutrients required to sustain vital functions, growth, but also immune status and disease resistance, the present work evaluated, in a 30-day feeding trial, the effect of 5 dietary n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels (0.8, 1.4, 2.0, 2.6 and 3.5% in dry weight of the diet) on liver health status of meagre fingerlings. Fish fed the lowest n-3 LC-PUFA diets (0.8 and 1.4%) showed a higher hepatosomatic index, as well as a higher hepatic lipid infiltration, which resulted in severe hepatic steatosis. Oleic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were the most important fatty acids driving the variability of meagre hepatic fatty acid composition and, consequently, hepatic histological alterations. Although fatty acid composition of phospholipids was less affected by the dietary n-3 LC-PUFA, meagre fed 0.8% n-3 LC-PUFA tended to present lower levels of essential fatty acids and higher levels of oleic acid in polar lipids. Moreover, the diet with the lowest n-3 LC-PUFA content (0.8%) led to a higher incidence of hepatic granulomas, suggesting a possible relation between essential fatty acid deficiency and hepatic granulomatosis in meagre. These results suggest that the inclusion of vegetable oils in diets for meagre fingerlings should be taken with careful, guaranteeing that, at least, 2.0% DW of n-3 LC-PUFA is available in feeds, in order to maintain the normal hepatic function in meagre.
The effects of 8 nutritional variables (Ca/P, Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) + Docosahexaenoic a... more The effects of 8 nutritional variables (Ca/P, Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) + Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n − 3) (EPA + DHA), Arachidonic acid (20:4n − 6) (ARA), Se, vitamins E, C, D and A) were investigated to identify their respective importance and interactions in pikeperch larval development. In this respect, two modalities (low and high levels) of each variable were tested through a fractional factorial experimental design allowing a reduction from 256 (28) to 16 (28 – 4) experimental units. Survival was significantly higher in larvae fed a high Ca/P diet while larval growth was significantly lower in larvae fed the same diet variant, associated with a higher incidence of kyphosis and pectoral anomalies in these larvae. Lordosis and scoliosis seemed to be mostly affected by dietary long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs). A significant interaction was shown between n-3 LC-PUFA and vitamin C on jaw anomalies, while myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2C (mef2c) gene expre...
The Science of the total environment, Jan 30, 2016
The marine environment acts as a sink for diverse anthropogenic pollutants, although the environm... more The marine environment acts as a sink for diverse anthropogenic pollutants, although the environmental contamination may be non-uniformly distributed. In recent decades, the aquaculture sector has experienced a steady growth postulating as a good alternative for seafood production. However, a social debate exits about the differential level of pollutants in wild and farmed species. This study was designed to evaluate the level of pollutants in a sentinel species: Bogue (Boops boops) associated and non-associated to fish-farm cages. A total of 82 chemical substances were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, including persistent (polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)), semi-persistent (bromodiphenyl ethers (BDEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)), and emerging pollutants (such as organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) and UV-filters). In general, aquaculture-associated bogues showed lower levels of semi-persistent and emerging poll...
Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological and Integrative Physiology
Frequently, stranded sea turtles require rehabilitation under controlled conditions. Currently, f... more Frequently, stranded sea turtles require rehabilitation under controlled conditions. Currently, few publications have described the conditions under which rehabilitation is to take place, particularly with respect to the hatchling life stage. To address this paucity of data, we conducted some experiments to assist rehabilitating facilities assess their handling of hatchlings. While in captivity, hatchlings are routinely handled, for example, for data collection and cleaning. Standardization of handling and housing protocols is necessary to define the most adequate rearing conditions to maintain hatchling welfare. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to assess plasma circulating corticosterone (Cort) concentration and growth, as a biomarker for the stress of hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) under controlled conditions. We performed two experiments to analyze handling frequency and stocking density. In both, Cort was measured and correlated with variations in anima...
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary vitamin E on gilthead seabream... more The objective of this study was to determine the effect of dietary vitamin E on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) growth and survival, at two different highly unsaturated fatty acids (HUFAs) levels. Eighteen days old gilthead seabream larvae were fed four formulated ...
Skin mucus is considered the first barrier against diseases in fish. The skin mucus protein profi... more Skin mucus is considered the first barrier against diseases in fish. The skin mucus protein profile of the greater amberjack (Seriola dumerili) and its changes due to experimental infection with Neobenedenia girellae were studied by combining 2-DE-MS/MS and gel-free LC-MS/MS proteomic approaches. The 2-DE results led to the identification of 69 and 55 proteins in noninfected and infected fish, respectively, and revealed that keratins were specifically cleaved in parasitized fish. Therefore, the skin mucus of the infected fish showed a higher protease activity due to, at least in part, an increase of metal-dependent protease and serine-type protease activities. Additionally, through a gel-free LC-MS/MS analysis, 1377 and 1251 different proteins were identified in the skin mucus of healthy and parasitized fish, respectively. The functional analysis of these proteins demonstrated a statistical overrepresentation of ribosomal proteins (a well-known source of antimicrobial peptides) in N. girellae-infected fish. In contrast, the components of membranes and protein transport GO categories were underrepresented after infection. Immune system process-related proteins constituted 2.5% of the total skin mucosal proteins. Among these skin mucosal proteins, 14 and 15 proteins exclusive to non-parasitized and parasitized fish were found, respectively, including specific serine-type proteases and metalloproteases in the parasitized fish. Moreover, the finding of tryptic peptides exclusive to some bacterial genera, obtained by gel-free LC-MS/MS, allowed us to construct a preliminary map of the microbiota living in the mucus of S. dumerili, with Pseudomonas and Paracoccus the most represented genera in both noninfected and infected fish.
Abstract Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is a promising new aquaculture species, however with some bo... more Abstract Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is a promising new aquaculture species, however with some bottlenecks to high-scale commercial production. One of those constraints are the scarce information about its nutritional requirements, which difficult the production of optimized diets and can lead to pathological alterations in liver, such as hepatic steatosis. Furthermore, meagre production is widely affected by granulomatosis, an infectious or non-infectious disease that may compromise fish performance and appearance. The cause of non-infectious granulomatosis is still unclear, but nutritional deficiencies are potential explanations. Since essential fatty acids are nutrients required to sustain vital functions, growth, but also immune status and disease resistance, the present work evaluated, in a 30-day feeding trial, the effect of 5 dietary n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels (0.8, 1.4, 2.0, 2.6 and 3.5% in dry weight of the diet) on liver health status of meagre fingerlings. Fish fed the lowest n-3 LC-PUFA diets (0.8 and 1.4%) showed a higher hepatosomatic index, as well as a higher hepatic lipid infiltration, which resulted in severe hepatic steatosis. Oleic acid and docosahexaenoic acid were the most important fatty acids driving the variability of meagre hepatic fatty acid composition and, consequently, hepatic histological alterations. Although fatty acid composition of phospholipids was less affected by the dietary n-3 LC-PUFA, meagre fed 0.8% n-3 LC-PUFA tended to present lower levels of essential fatty acids and higher levels of oleic acid in polar lipids. Moreover, the diet with the lowest n-3 LC-PUFA content (0.8%) led to a higher incidence of hepatic granulomas, suggesting a possible relation between essential fatty acid deficiency and hepatic granulomatosis in meagre. These results suggest that the inclusion of vegetable oils in diets for meagre fingerlings should be taken with careful, guaranteeing that, at least, 2.0% DW of n-3 LC-PUFA is available in feeds, in order to maintain the normal hepatic function in meagre.
The effects of 8 nutritional variables (Ca/P, Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) + Docosahexaenoic a... more The effects of 8 nutritional variables (Ca/P, Eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) + Docosahexaenoic acid (22:6n − 3) (EPA + DHA), Arachidonic acid (20:4n − 6) (ARA), Se, vitamins E, C, D and A) were investigated to identify their respective importance and interactions in pikeperch larval development. In this respect, two modalities (low and high levels) of each variable were tested through a fractional factorial experimental design allowing a reduction from 256 (28) to 16 (28 – 4) experimental units. Survival was significantly higher in larvae fed a high Ca/P diet while larval growth was significantly lower in larvae fed the same diet variant, associated with a higher incidence of kyphosis and pectoral anomalies in these larvae. Lordosis and scoliosis seemed to be mostly affected by dietary long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs). A significant interaction was shown between n-3 LC-PUFA and vitamin C on jaw anomalies, while myocyte-specific enhancer factor 2C (mef2c) gene expre...
The Science of the total environment, Jan 30, 2016
The marine environment acts as a sink for diverse anthropogenic pollutants, although the environm... more The marine environment acts as a sink for diverse anthropogenic pollutants, although the environmental contamination may be non-uniformly distributed. In recent decades, the aquaculture sector has experienced a steady growth postulating as a good alternative for seafood production. However, a social debate exits about the differential level of pollutants in wild and farmed species. This study was designed to evaluate the level of pollutants in a sentinel species: Bogue (Boops boops) associated and non-associated to fish-farm cages. A total of 82 chemical substances were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, including persistent (polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)), semi-persistent (bromodiphenyl ethers (BDEs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)), and emerging pollutants (such as organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs) and UV-filters). In general, aquaculture-associated bogues showed lower levels of semi-persistent and emerging poll...
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