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Second Edition of Feed Additives in Health and Immunity of...
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Second Edition of Feed Additives in Health and Immunity of Fish

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Aquatic Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 July 2023) | Viewed by 10301

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Marina Paolucci

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy
Interests: animal nutrition; feed manufacturing; animal product shelf-life; bioactive molecules; biopolymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Roberta Imperatore

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sciences and Technologies, University of Sannio, 82100 Benevento, Italy
Interests: feed additives; fish health; animal immunity; feeding; neuroscience; obesity; gut–brain axis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

In rearing conditions, numerous stressors, especially environment or diet stressors, affect the health status of fish, damaging their immune systems and causing diseases such as intestinal inflammation. The intestine is closely related to growth, health, infection resistance, and the capability to counteract environmental stressors. Moreover, both the innate and adaptive local immunity of the intestine reveals that the integrity of the intestinal mucosa barrier is the primary guarantee for the safeguarding of fish health. In this context, diet appears to be a key modulator of immunity, and the application of natural eco-friendly feed additives can improve the immune system and provide an extra defense against infections and diseases, ameliorating fish health and wellness.

It has been reported that numerous functional feed additives can improve fish growth and health by providing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and preventing or counteracting the development of numerous diseases by boosting the immune system. These functional feed additives include numerous eco-friendly organic compounds derived from different sources, such as prebiotics, probiotics, seaweeds, macro- and microalgae, enzymes, peptides, and plant extracts, which include polyphenols and insect meals. Indeed, the scientific literature suggests that the immunostimulatory effects of several feed additives vary by fish type, route of administration, dose, duration, and association with other immunostimulants. However, few studies and knowledge exist regarding the best timing of administration and on the mechanism of action of these feed additives in aquatic animals. Several studies hypothesized that functional feed additives could act directly on the innate immune system, or indirectly by controlling the microbiota, and a variety of additives play an important role either alone or in combination. However, additional research is needed to better understand the mechanisms whereby feed additives influence the growth performance and health of aquatic animals; to characterize the ligand–receptor interactions and signal transduction pathways involved; and identify the types of cytokines related to their actions. In this framework, the study of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines mRNA expression changes can help to better understand the role of functional feed additives in the control of peripheral and central inflammation and the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, clarifying molecular mechanisms on the basis of the ameliorating effects of these additives on growth, immune response, and fish health.

The ultimate aim of this Special Issue is to present a multidisciplinary collection of original research papers or reviews concerning the direct or indirect effects of innovative and alternative functional feed additives on all aspects related to immunity and the repercussions of immunity modifications on wild and cultured fish, as well as other aquatic species and aquaculture animal models. You are cordially invited to contribute to this theme or related research topics in order to improve the knowledge on the role and interactions of different eco-friendly functional feed additives in the immunity of fish. The biochemical and physiological functions of fish, timing of administration, dose, duration and mechanisms of actions can be explored, and thus innovative solutions to prevent peripheral and central diseases can be proposed. This Special Issue welcomes multiple morphophysiological, biochemical, biomolecular, microbiological, and functional approaches toward understanding the most effective, eco-friendly and economical feed additives, including their modes of action in the control of immunity, inflammation, appetite, and stress. The results and findings of these papers could be relevant in defining specific functional feed additives as preventive and/or therapeutic compounds for both the scientific community and the field of aquaculture.

Prof. Dr. Marina Paolucci
Dr. Roberta Imperatore
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • prebiotics
  • probiotics
  • peptides
  • plants extract
  • polyphenols
  • insects
  • molecular mechanisms
  • symbiotic
  • dosage
  • administration timing

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 2205 KiB  
Article
Isolation of Potential Probiotic Bacillus spp. from the Intestine of Nile Tilapia to Construct Recombinant Probiotic Expressing CC Chemokine and Its Effectiveness on Innate Immune Responses in Nile Tilapia
by Chatsirin Nakharuthai, Surintorn Boonanuntanasarn, Jirawadee Kaewda and Pimpisut Manassila
Animals 2023, 13(6), 986; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13060986 - 08 Mar 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1979
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the potential probiotic Bacillus spp. from the intestine of Nile tilapia in order to construct a recombinant probiotic for the enhancement of the Nile tilapia immune response. One hundred bacterial isolates from the intestine of Nile tilapia were [...] Read more.
This study aimed to investigate the potential probiotic Bacillus spp. from the intestine of Nile tilapia in order to construct a recombinant probiotic for the enhancement of the Nile tilapia immune response. One hundred bacterial isolates from the intestine of Nile tilapia were characterized for species identification using the 16s ribosomal RNA (rRNA). Only Bacillus isolates with exhibited antagonistic activity were investigated for their biological functions, which included protease-producing capacity, bile salts and pH tolerance, antibiotic susceptibility, and pathogenicity tests. According to the best results, Bacillus isolate B29, as closely related to B. subtilis, was selected to construct a recombinant probiotic for the delivery of CC chemokine protein (pBESOn-CC). The existence of recombinant probiotics was confirmed by Western blotting before the feeding trial. In addition, the CC chemokine mRNA level was quantified in the intestine of fish fed probiotics after 30 days of feeding. Total immunoglobulin, lysozyme activity, alternative complement 50 activity (ACH50), and phagocytic activity of fish fed either wild-type or recombinant probiotics were significantly increased, indicating that probiotics could stimulate the Nile tilapia immune system through different processes. Interestingly, the dietary supplementation of recombinant probiotics has a stronger immune response enhancement than the wild-type strain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition of Feed Additives in Health and Immunity of Fish)
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17 pages, 12437 KiB  
Article
Effects of Five Prebiotics on Growth, Antioxidant Capacity, Non-Specific Immunity, Stress Resistance, and Disease Resistance of Juvenile Hybrid Grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus ♂)
by Li Zhu, Shaoqun Wang, Yan Cai, Huizhong Shi, Yongcan Zhou, Dongdong Zhang, Weiliang Guo and Shifeng Wang
Animals 2023, 13(4), 754; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13040754 - 19 Feb 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2111
Abstract
To explore the short-term health benefits of five prebiotics on hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus ♂), six experimental groups fed with different diets (basal diet, diet control (CON); basal diet + 0.2% fructooligosaccharide (FOS), diet FOS; basal diet + [...] Read more.
To explore the short-term health benefits of five prebiotics on hybrid grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus ♀ × Epinephelus lanceolatus ♂), six experimental groups fed with different diets (basal diet, diet control (CON); basal diet + 0.2% fructooligosaccharide (FOS), diet FOS; basal diet + 0.5% chitosan, diet chitosan (CTS); basal diet + 0.2% mannan–oligosaccharide (MOS), diet MOS; basal diet + 0.1% β-glucan (GLU), Diet GLU; basal diet + 0.05% xylooligosaccharide (XOS), diet XOS) were set up, and a 4-week feeding trial was conducted. MOS and XOS significantly improved the growth of hybrid grouper compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Antioxidant enzyme assay showed that the activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) was significantly enhanced in the MOS group, and the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the XOS group was significantly lower than in the CON group (p < 0.05). The catalase (CAT) activities were significantly enhanced in all prebiotic-supplemented groups compared with the CON group (p < 0.05). Non-specific immunity assay showed that the activities of alkaline phosphatase (AKP) and lysozyme (LZM) were significantly increased in all prebiotic-supplemented groups compared with the CON group (p < 0.05). The total protein content in the XOS group was significantly increased (p < 0.05), and the albumin (ALB) activity in the MOS group was more significantly increased than that in the CON group. Histological examination of the intestine revealed that muscle thickness was significantly increased in all prebiotic-supplemented groups compared to the CON group (p < 0.05). Villi length, villi width, muscle thickness all increased significantly in the MOS group (p < 0.05). In addition, the crowding stress and ammonia nitrogen stress experiments revealed that the survival rates of the MOS and XOS groups after stresses were significantly higher than those of the CON group (p < 0.05). Though MOS and XOS exhibited similar anti-stress effects, the antioxidant and non-specific immunity parameters they regulated were not the same, indicating that the specific mechanisms of MOS and XOS’s anti-stress effects were probably different. After being challenged with Vibrio harvey, MOS and GLU groups showed significantly higher post-challenge survival rates than the CON group (p < 0.05). These findings indicated that among the five prebiotics, MOS and XOS showed the best overall short-term beneficial effects and could be considered promising short-term feed additives to improve the stress resistance of juvenile hybrid grouper. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition of Feed Additives in Health and Immunity of Fish)
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19 pages, 3424 KiB  
Article
SpPdp11 Administration in Diet Modified the Transcriptomic Response and Its Microbiota Associated in Mechanically Induced Wound Sparus aurata Skin
by Isabel M. Cerezo, Olivia Pérez-Gómez, Rocio Bautista, Pedro Seoane, M. Ángeles Esteban, M. Carmen Balebona, Miguel A. Moriñigo and Silvana T. Tapia-Paniagua
Animals 2023, 13(2), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13020193 - 04 Jan 2023
Viewed by 1751
Abstract
Skin lesions are a frequent fact associated with intensive conditions affecting farmed fish. Knowing that the use of probiotics can improve fish skin health, SpPdp11 dietary administration has demonstrated beneficial effects for farmed fish, so its potential on the skin needs to be [...] Read more.
Skin lesions are a frequent fact associated with intensive conditions affecting farmed fish. Knowing that the use of probiotics can improve fish skin health, SpPdp11 dietary administration has demonstrated beneficial effects for farmed fish, so its potential on the skin needs to be studied more deeply. The wounded specimens that received the diet with SpPdp11 showed a decrease in the abundance of Enterobacteriaceae, Photobacterium and Achromobacter related to bacterial biofilm formation, as well as the overexpression of genes involved in signaling mechanisms (itpr3), cell migration and differentiation (panxa, ttbk1a, smpd3, vamp5); and repression of genes related to cell proliferation (vstm4a, areg), consistent with a more efficient skin healing processes than that observed in the wounded control group. In addition, among the groups of damaged skin with different diets, Achromobacter, f_Ruminococcaceae, p_Bacteroidetes, Fluviicola and Flavobacterium genera with significant differences showed positive correlations with genes related to cell migration and negative correlations with inflammation and cell proliferation and may be the target of future studies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition of Feed Additives in Health and Immunity of Fish)
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15 pages, 2156 KiB  
Article
Brown Seaweed (Padina australis) Extract can Promote Performance, Innate Immune Responses, Digestive Enzyme Activities, Intestinal Gene Expression and Resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)
by Najmeh Sheikhzadeh, Ehsan Ahmadifar, Mehdi Soltani, Hossein Tayefi-Nasrabadi, Shalaleh Mousavi and Mohammed A. E. Naiel
Animals 2022, 12(23), 3389; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12233389 - 02 Dec 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1987
Abstract
Eight-week oral administration of Padina australis ethyl acetate extract at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg diets was assessed on the growth performance, tight junction proteins, intestinal immunity, and disease resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). A total of [...] Read more.
Eight-week oral administration of Padina australis ethyl acetate extract at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg diets was assessed on the growth performance, tight junction proteins, intestinal immunity, and disease resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). A total of 300 healthy common carp weighing around 14.8 ± 0.03 g were randomly assigned into four equal groups within 12 glass aquariums, each in three replicates (25 fish/tank), for the feeding trial experiment. The first group served as the control group and was fed an un-supplemented diet, whilst the other three groups were offered diets containing graded amounts of Padina australis ethyl acetate extract at 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg, respectively. The growth indices, including final weight, length, weight gain rate, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio, were meaningfully improved in fish fed with the algae at 200 and 400 mg/kg compared to the control fish (p < 0.05). Similarly, digestive enzyme activities and serum immune parameters were significantly higher in all treatments, especially 200 and 400 mg/kg fed groups, compared to the control (p < 0.05). In parallel, significant upregulation of genes related to integrity and the immune system was shown in the intestine of these treatment groups compared to control fish (p < 0.05). When fish were challenged with A. hydrophila, the cumulative survival percentages were 53.3% (p = 0.215), 70.0 % (p = 0.009), and 76.7% (p = 0.002) in fish fed 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg diets, respectively, compared to 36.7% survival in control fish (p = 0.134). These data show that the eight-week dietary administration of P. australis extract to common carp can enhance growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, immune response, and disease resistance to A. hydrophila infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition of Feed Additives in Health and Immunity of Fish)
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13 pages, 1661 KiB  
Article
Effects of Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) as a Prebiotic Supplement in the Diet of Red Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.)
by Clara Trullàs, Mariya Sewaka, Channarong Rodkhum, Nantarika Chansue, Surintorn Boonanuntanasarn, Manoj Tukaram Kamble and Nopadon Pirarat
Animals 2022, 12(20), 2882; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12202882 - 21 Oct 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1779
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a Jerusalem artichoke-supplemented diet on the blood chemistry, growth performance, intestinal morphology, expression of antioxidant-related genes, and disease resistance against Aeromonas veronii challenge in juvenile red tilapia. A completely randomized design [...] Read more.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of a Jerusalem artichoke-supplemented diet on the blood chemistry, growth performance, intestinal morphology, expression of antioxidant-related genes, and disease resistance against Aeromonas veronii challenge in juvenile red tilapia. A completely randomized design (CRD) was followed to feed red tilapias with three experimental diets: control, 5.0 g/kg JA-supplemented (JA5), or 10.0 g/kg JA-supplemented (JA10) diets in triplicates for 4 weeks. The results revealed that the growth performance, weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), and average daily gain (ADG) of fish fed diets JA5 and JA10 were significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those of fish fed the control diet. Fish fed the control diet had significantly higher T-bilirubin, D-bilirubin, and ALT in blood serum than fish fed JA5 and JA10, as well as higher BUN than fish fed JA5. The number of goblet cells in the proximal and distal parts of the intestine revealed that the number of acid, neutral, and double-staining mucous cells of fish fed diets JA5 and JA10 was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than in fish fed the control diet. The diets including the prebiotic (JA5 and JA10) were associated with a significant increase in the expression of gpx1 and gst antioxidant-related genes and disease resistance against A. veronii in juvenile red tilapia. Therefore, JA5 and JA10 can be employed as promising prebiotics for sustainable red tilapia farming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Second Edition of Feed Additives in Health and Immunity of Fish)
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