Metabolic Research in Aquatic Animal Nutrition, Physiology and Disease

A special issue of Metabolites (ISSN 2218-1989). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Metabolism".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 28535

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Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: fish nutritional immunology; immunometabolism; amino acid metabolism

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: fish sex determination; sex differentiation; sex control; sexual dimorphism; gonadal development and reproduction; genomics; transcriptomics; gene expression; genetics and selective breeding; selection of new varieties
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Guest Editor
College of Fisheries, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Interests: aquaculture nutrition, immune response, fish physiology, meat quality, metabolomics, feed additives, new feed resource

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Aquaculture supplies large quantities of high-value proteins to human beings and remains the most efficient protein-producing industry. Fish feed is the largest cost during aquaculture practice, and it is of great importance to explore the nutrient requirements and physiology of different aquatic animals. The last decade has seen a growing number of studies revealing the metabolic responses in aquatic animal nutrition, physiology and disease.

The inner metabolic regulatory mechanism in aquatic animal nutrition, physiology and disease remains largely unresolved. This Special Issue showcases a collection of original research and review articles that highlight the latest discoveries and advances in the field of metabolic research in aquatic animal nutrition, physiology and disease. In improving our understanding of the metabolic regulation in multiple aspects of aquatic animals, there is potential to develop functional feed components or high-efficiency fish feed, to finally promote the continual blooming of the aquaculture industry.

Dr. Qingchao Wang
Dr. Yan He
Dr. Qingsong Tan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • metabolic regulation
  • aquatic animal nutrition
  • fish physiology
  • aquatic animal disease

Published Papers (16 papers)

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Editorial

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5 pages, 198 KiB  
Editorial
Metabolic Research in Aquatic Animal Nutrition, Physiology and Disease
by Yan He, Qingsong Tan and Qingchao Wang
Metabolites 2024, 14(1), 22; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14010022 - 28 Dec 2023
Viewed by 904
Abstract
Aquaculture provides a significant amount of high-quality protein for human consumption and is one of the most efficient protein production industries [...] Full article

Research

Jump to: Editorial

14 pages, 1382 KiB  
Article
Evaluate of Wheat Gluten as a Protein Alternative for Fish Meal and Soy Protein Concentrate in Red Spotted Grouper Epinephelus akaara
by Yanbo Cheng, Yongchao Wang, Zhiyong Dong, Trond Storebakken, Guohuan Xu, Bo Shi and Yuexing Zhang
Metabolites 2023, 13(7), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13070832 - 10 Jul 2023
Viewed by 860
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of wheat gluten as a substitute for fish meal (FM) and soy protein concentrate (SPC) in the low-fishmeal-based extruded diet in red spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara. Eight isonitrogenous (441–456 g kg−1 [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of wheat gluten as a substitute for fish meal (FM) and soy protein concentrate (SPC) in the low-fishmeal-based extruded diet in red spotted grouper Epinephelus akaara. Eight isonitrogenous (441–456 g kg−1) and isocaloric (21.5–22.0 MJ kg−1) diets were produced, including the control diet (R0), three diets with 33.3, 66.7, and 100% FM being replaced by a mixture of wheat gluten, wheat, and taurine (GWT) (RF1, RF2, RF3), three diets with 33.3, 66.7, and 100% SPC replaced by GWT (RS2, RS2, RS3) and one diet with 50% FM and 50% SPC replaced by GWT (RFS). Results showed that feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), protein retention efficiency, and liver superoxide dismutase activity increased linearly, while feed conversion ratio (FCR) decreased linearly with the decrease of dietary FM. Additionally, FI, WG, and FCR significantly increased with decreasing dietary SPC. Overall, 100% FM or 61.2% SPC can be safely replaced by wheat gluten in the red-spotted grouper diet containing 20.0% FM and 21.4% SPC. Full article
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19 pages, 6889 KiB  
Article
Dietary Soybean Lecithin Improves Growth, Immunity, Antioxidant Capability and Intestinal Barrier Functions in Largemouth Bass Micropterus salmoides Juveniles
by Jiaojiao Wu, Wenxue Yang, Rui Song, Zhe Li, Xiaowei Jia, Hao Zhang, Penghui Zhang, Xinyu Xue, Shenghui Li, Yuanyuan Xie, Rongfei Zhang, Jinyun Ye, Zhijin Zhou and Chenglong Wu
Metabolites 2023, 13(4), 512; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13040512 - 02 Apr 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1752
Abstract
This study evaluated the effects of dietary soybean lecithin (SBL) on the growth, haematological indices, immunities, antioxidant capabilities, and inflammatory and intestinal barrier functions because little information of dietary SBL could be obtained in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). The fish [...] Read more.
This study evaluated the effects of dietary soybean lecithin (SBL) on the growth, haematological indices, immunities, antioxidant capabilities, and inflammatory and intestinal barrier functions because little information of dietary SBL could be obtained in juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). The fish were fed identical diets except for SBL added at 0, 2, 4 and 8%. It was found that 4 and 8% SBL significantly increased fish weight gain and daily growth rate (p < 0.05), while 4% SBL was optimal for enhancing RBC, HGB, PLT, MCV, MCH, WBC and MON in blood, and ALB and ALP in serum (p < 0.05). SBL (4%) also significantly elevated the antioxidant enzymes activities of T-SOD, CAT, GR, GPx, GST and T-AOC and GSH contents; increased mRNA transcription levels of Nrf2, Cu/Zn-SOD, CAT, GR, GST3 and GPx3; and decreased MDA contents. Keap1a and Keap1b levels were markedly down-regulated (p < 0.05). SBL (4%) significantly enhanced levels of the immune factors (ACP, LZM and C3) and the mRNA expression levels of innate immune-related genes (C3, C4, CFD, HEPC and MHC-I) compared with the control groups (0%) (p < 0.05). SBL (4%) significantly increased IgM and T-NOS in the intestine (p < 0.05) and significantly decreased levels of TNF-α, IL-8, IL-1β and IFN-γ and increased TGF-β1 at both transcription and protein levels in the liver and intestine (p < 0.05). The mRNA expression levels of MAPK13, MAPK14 and NF-κB P65 were significantly decreased in the intestine in the 4% SBL groups (p < 0.05). Histological sections also demonstrated that 4% SBL protected intestinal morphological structures compared with controls. This included increased intestinal villus height and muscular thickness (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of the intestinal epithelial cell tight junction proteins (TJs) (ZO-1, claudin-3, claudin-4, claudin-5, claudin-23 and claudin-34) and mucin-5AC were significantly up-regulated in the 4% SBL groups compared with the controls (p < 0.05). In conclusion, these results suggested that 4% dietary SBL could not only improve growth, haematological indices, antioxidant capabilities, immune responses and intestinal functions, but also alleviate inflammatory responses, thereby providing reference information for the feed formulations in cultured largemouth bass. Full article
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14 pages, 4278 KiB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Steroid Saponins on Growth Performance, Serum and Liver Glucose, Lipid Metabolism and Immune Molecules of Hybrid Groupers (♀Epinephelus fuscoguttatus × ♂Epinephelus lanceolatu) Fed High-Lipid Diets
by Hongjin Deng, Jiacheng Zhang, Qihui Yang, Xiaohui Dong, Shuang Zhang, Weixing Liang, Beiping Tan and Shuyan Chi
Metabolites 2023, 13(2), 305; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo13020305 - 19 Feb 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1572
Abstract
High-lipid diets are attributed to excessive lipid deposition and metabolic disturbances in fish. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of steroidal saponins on growth performance, immune molecules and metabolism of glucose and lipids in hybrid groupers (initial weight 22.71 [...] Read more.
High-lipid diets are attributed to excessive lipid deposition and metabolic disturbances in fish. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the effects of steroidal saponins on growth performance, immune molecules and metabolism of glucose and lipids in hybrid groupers (initial weight 22.71 ± 0.12 g) fed high-lipid diets. steroidal saponins (0%, 0.1% and 0.2%) were added to the basal diet (crude lipid, 14%) to produce three experimental diets, designated S0, S0.1 and S0.2, respectively. After an 8-week feeding trial, no significant differences were found between the S0 and S0.1 groups in percent weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, protein efficiency ratio and protein deposition rate (p > 0.05). All those in the S0.2 group were significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Compared to the S0 group, fish in the S0.1 group had lower contents of serum triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and glucose (p < 0.05). The activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were significantly higher, and malondialdehyde contents were significantly lower in the S0.1 group than in the S0 group (p < 0.05). Hepatic triglyceride, total cholesterol and glycogen were significantly lower in the S0.1 group than in the S0 group (p < 0.05). Activities of lipoprotein lipase, total lipase, glucokinase and pyruvate kinase, and gene expression of lipoprotein lipase, triglyceride lipase and glucokinase, were significantly higher in the S0.1 group than in the S0 group. Interleukin-10 mRNA expression in the S0.1 group was significantly higher than that in the S0 group, while the expression of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α genes were significantly lower than those in the S0 group. In summary, adding 0.1% steroidal saponins to a high-lipid diet not only promoted lipolysis in fish livers, but also activated glycolysis pathways, thus enhancing the utilization of the dietary energy of the groupers, as well as supporting the fish’s nonspecial immune-defense mechanism. Full article
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12 pages, 810 KiB  
Article
Effects of Enzymatic Cottonseed Protein Concentrate as a Feed Protein Source on the Growth, Plasma Parameters, Liver Antioxidant Capacity and Immune Status of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides)
by Qile Zhang, Hualiang Liang, Pao Xu, Gangchun Xu, Lu Zhang, Yongli Wang, Mingchun Ren and Xiaoru Chen
Metabolites 2022, 12(12), 1233; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12121233 - 08 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1353
Abstract
This study appraised the impact of enzymatic cottonseed protein concentrate (ECP) as a fish meal (FM) substitute on the growth and health of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) (initial weight 14.99 ± 0.03 g). Five diets with equal nitrogen, fat, and energy [...] Read more.
This study appraised the impact of enzymatic cottonseed protein concentrate (ECP) as a fish meal (FM) substitute on the growth and health of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) (initial weight 14.99 ± 0.03 g). Five diets with equal nitrogen, fat, and energy were designed to replace 0%, 7.78%, 15.56%, 23.33%, and 31.11% FM by adding 0%, 3.6%, 7.2%, 10.8%, and 14.4% ECP, named ECP0, ECP3.6, ECP7.2, ECP10.8, and ECP14.4, respectively. We fed 300 fish with five experimental diets for 60 days. The results revealed that weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) did not notably reduce until the addition of ECP exceeded 7.2%. The proximate composition of fish was not affected by the amount of ECP added in diets. Plasma total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) concentrations increased with the increase of ECP dosage, while the triglyceride (TG) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) concentrations and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity showed an opposite trend. For hepatic antioxidant capacity, the hepatic total superoxide dismutase (T-SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, glutathione (GSH) content, and the expression of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and CAT were increased by ECP, while the hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) content and the expression of kelch-like-ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) were decreased. With regard to inflammation, the expression of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were inhibited by ECP. In summary, the amount of ECP added to diet can reach 7.2% to replace 15.56% FM without hampering the growth of largemouth bass, and ECP can improve the antioxidant and immune capacity. Full article
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11 pages, 5105 KiB  
Article
4-PBA Attenuates Fat Accumulation in Cultured Spotted Seabass Fed High-Fat-Diet via Regulating Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress
by Tian Xia, Yan-Qin Liao, Lei Li, Lu-Yu Sun, Neng-Shui Ding, You-Lin Wu and Kang-Le Lu
Metabolites 2022, 12(12), 1197; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12121197 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1674
Abstract
Excessive fat accumulation is a common phenomenon in cultured fish, which can cause metabolic disease such as fatty liver. However, the relative regulatory approach remains to be explored. Based on this, two feeding trials were conducted. Firstly, fish were fed either a normal-fat [...] Read more.
Excessive fat accumulation is a common phenomenon in cultured fish, which can cause metabolic disease such as fatty liver. However, the relative regulatory approach remains to be explored. Based on this, two feeding trials were conducted. Firstly, fish were fed either a normal-fat diet (NFD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for eight weeks and sampled at the 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th week after feeding (Experiment I). In the first four weeks, fish fed an HFD grew faster than those fed an NFD. Conversely, the body weight and weight gain were higher in the NFD group at the 6th and 8th weeks. Under light and transmission electron microscopes, fat accumulation of the liver was accompanied by an obvious endoplasmic reticulum (ER) swell. Accordingly, the expressions of atf-6, ire-1, perk, eif-2α, atf-4, grp78, and chop showed that ER stress was activated at the 6th and 8th weeks. In Experiment II, 50 mg/kg 4-PBA (an ERs inhibitor) was supplemented to an HFD; this was named the 4-PBA group. Then, fish was fed with an NFD, an HFD, and a 4-PBA diet for eight weeks. As the result, the excessive fat deposition caused by an HFD was reversed by 4-PBA. The expression of ER stress-related proteins CHOP and GRP78 was down-regulated by 4-PBA, and the transmission electron microscope images also showed that 4-PBA alleviated ER stress induced by the feeding of an HFD. Furthermore, 4-PBA administration down-regulated SREBP-1C/ACC/FAS, the critical pathways of fat synthesis. In conclusion, the results confirmed that ER stress plays a contributor role in the fat deposition by activating the SREBP-1C/ACC/FAS pathway. 4-PBA as an ER stress inhibitor could reduce fat deposition caused by an HFD via regulating ER stress. Full article
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14 pages, 3477 KiB  
Article
Response of Intestinal Microbiota to the Variation in Diets in Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)
by Gang Yang, Yuhan Xiang, Shanshan Wang, Yujie Tao, Lichen Xie, Lixin Bao, Kaikai Shen, Jiamin Li, Baoqing Hu, Chungen Wen, Vikas Kumar and Mo Peng
Metabolites 2022, 12(11), 1115; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12111115 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1588
Abstract
The intestinal microbiota is important for the nutrient metabolism of fish and is significantly influenced by the host’s diet. The effect of ryegrass and commercial diets on the intestinal microbiota of grass carp was compared in this study. In comparison to ryegrass, artificial [...] Read more.
The intestinal microbiota is important for the nutrient metabolism of fish and is significantly influenced by the host’s diet. The effect of ryegrass and commercial diets on the intestinal microbiota of grass carp was compared in this study. In comparison to ryegrass, artificial feed significantly reduced the microbial diversity in the intestine, which was measured by a decrease in the observed OTUs, ACE, Shannon, and the InvSimpson index. Although grass carp fed with ryegrass and artificial feed shared a dominant phyla Firmicutes and Proteobacteria, the microbial composition was clearly distinguishable between the two groups. In grass carp fed with ryegrass, Alphaproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, and Actinobacteria predominated, whereas Bacilli was significantly higher in the artificial feed group due to an increase in Weissella and an unassigned Bacillales bacteria, as well as a significant increase in a potential pathogen: Aeromonas australiensis. Grass carp fed with ryegrass exhibited a more complex ecological network performed by the intestinal bacterial community, which was dominated by cooperative interactions; this was also observed in grass carp fed with artificial feed. Despite this, the increase in A. australiensis increased the competitive interaction within this ecological network, which contributed to the vulnerable perturbation of the intestinal microbiota. The alteration of the microbial composition through diet can further affect microbial function. The intestinal microbial function in grass carp fed with ryegrass was rich in amino acids and exhibited an increased energy metabolism in order to compensate for a low-nutrient diet intake, while the artificial feed elevated the microbial lipid metabolism through the promotion of its synthesis in the primary and secondary bile acids, together with a notable enhancement of fatty acid biosynthesis. These results indicated that diet can affect the homeostasis of the intestinal microbiota by altering the microbial composition and the interspecific interactions, whilst microbial function can respond to a variation in diet. Full article
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18 pages, 2839 KiB  
Article
Dietary Effect of Clostridium autoethanogenum Protein on Growth, Intestinal Histology and Flesh Lipid Metabolism of Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) Based on Metabolomics
by Pinxian Yang, Xiaoqin Li, Wenxiang Yao, Menglu Li, Yuanyuan Wang and Xiangjun Leng
Metabolites 2022, 12(11), 1088; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12111088 - 09 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1590
Abstract
Clostridium autoethanogenum protein (CAP) is a new single-cell protein explored in aquatic feeds in recent years. This study investigated the dietary effects of CAP replacing fishmeal (FM) on the growth, intestinal histology and flesh metabolism of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). In [...] Read more.
Clostridium autoethanogenum protein (CAP) is a new single-cell protein explored in aquatic feeds in recent years. This study investigated the dietary effects of CAP replacing fishmeal (FM) on the growth, intestinal histology and flesh metabolism of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides). In a basal diet containing 700 g/kg of FM, CAP was used to substitute 0%, 15%, 30%, 45%, 70% and 100% of dietary FM to form six isonitrogenous diets (Con, CAP-15, CAP-30, CAP-45, CAP-70, CAP-100) to feed largemouth bass (80.0 g) for 12 weeks. Only the CAP-100 group showed significantly lower weight gain (WG) and a higher feed conversion ratio (FCR) than the control (p < 0.05). A broken-line analysis based on WG and FCR showed that the suitable replacement of FM with CAP was 67.1–68.0%. The flesh n-3/n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, intestinal protease activity, villi width and height in the CAP-100 group were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis showed that the metabolic pathway in flesh was mainly enriched in the “lipid metabolic pathway”, “amino acid metabolism”, “endocrine system” and “carbohydrate metabolism”. In conclusion, CAP could successfully replace 67.1–68.0% of dietary FM, while the complete substitution decreased the growth, damaged the intestinal morphology and down-regulated the lipid metabolites. Full article
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25 pages, 6581 KiB  
Article
Effects of Dietary Cottonseed Protein Concentrate Levels on Growth Performance, Health Status, Flesh Quality and Intestinal Microbiota of Grass Carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus)
by Guoqing Liu, Meng Zhou, Xiaoyu Wang, Xiangjie Mao, Xianmei Long, Shouqi Xie, Dong Han and Qingsong Tan
Metabolites 2022, 12(11), 1046; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12111046 - 30 Oct 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1695
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value of cottonseed protein concentrate (CPC) as a single dietary protein source and the optimal protein level for grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). An 8-week feeding trial was conducted by feeding juvenile [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional value of cottonseed protein concentrate (CPC) as a single dietary protein source and the optimal protein level for grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus). An 8-week feeding trial was conducted by feeding juvenile grass carp (initial body weight: 4.68 ± 0.01 g) with six experimental diets containing graded levels of protein provided by CPC. The results showed that the optimal CPC level (CPC4) improved the growth performance and health status of grass carp. The optimal dietary protein level was estimated to be 38.61 and 38.66% based on specific growth rate (SGR) and feed efficiency (FE), respectively. The CPC4 group significantly increased the total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) content and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in the hepatopancreas (p < 0.05). In addition, the CPC4 group increased the muscle T-AOC and glutathione (GSH) content and improved muscle hardness, and the gene expression of MRFs, fgf6a, myhc-7, myhc-1, myhc-4, igf-II, and tor was upregulated while mstn gene expression was downregulated (p < 0.05). Correlation analysis revealed that the optimal dietary CPC level promoted grass carp growth, health, and flesh quality by regulating the relative abundance of intestinal microbes. Furthermore, CPC6 upregulated the ko00480 (Glutathione metabolism) and ko00620 (Pyruvate metabolism) pathways compared to CPC1 (p < 0.05), possibly indicating that low dietary CPC levels adversely affected amino acid metabolism in the intestinal microbiota of grass carp, while a high level of CPC will meet the metabolic needs of the body by increasing the utilization of energy. Full article
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19 pages, 1402 KiB  
Article
Dietary Lactoferrin Supplementation Improves Growth Performance and Intestinal Health of Juvenile Orange-Spotted Groupers (Epinephelus coioides)
by Tao Song, Yingmei Qin, Liner Ke, Xuexi Wang, Kun Wang, Yunzhang Sun and Jidan Ye
Metabolites 2022, 12(10), 915; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12100915 - 28 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1579
Abstract
A 56-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary lactoferrin (LF) supplementation on the growth performance and intestinal health of juvenile orange-spotted groupers fed high-soybean-meal (SBM) diets. The control diet (FM) and high-soybean-meal diet (SBM60) were prepared to contain 480 [...] Read more.
A 56-day feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary lactoferrin (LF) supplementation on the growth performance and intestinal health of juvenile orange-spotted groupers fed high-soybean-meal (SBM) diets. The control diet (FM) and high-soybean-meal diet (SBM60) were prepared to contain 480 g/kg protein and 110 g/kg fat. Three inclusion levels of 2, 6, and 10 g/kg LF were added into the SBM60 to prepare three diets (recorded as LF2, LF6, and LF10, respectively). The results showed that the supplementation of LF in SBM60 increased the growth rate in a dose-dependent manner. However, the feed utilization, hepatosomatic index, whole-body proximate composition, and the abundance and diversity of intestinal microbiota did not vary across the dietary treatments (p > 0.05). After the dietary intervention with LF, the contents of the intestinal malondialdehyde, endotoxin, and d-lactic acid, as well as the plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and total cholesterol were lower, and the intestinal activities of the glutathione peroxidase, lipase, trypsin, and protease were higher in the LF2-LF10 groups than that in the SBM60 group (p < 0.05). The supplementation of LF in SBM60 increased the muscle layer thickness of the middle and distal intestine and the mucosal fold length of the middle intestine vs. the SBM60 diet (p < 0.05). Furthermore, the supplementation of LF in SBM60 resulted in an up-regulation of the mRNA levels for the IL-10 and TGF-β1 genes and a down-regulation of the mRNA levels of the IL-1β, IL-12, IL-8, and TNF-α genes vs. the SBM60 diet (p < 0.05). The above results showed that a dietary LF intervention improves the growth and alleviates soybean meal-induced enteritis in juvenile orange-spotted groupers. The dietary appropriate level of LF was at 5.8 g/kg, through the regression analysis of the percent weight gain against the dietary LF inclusion levels. Full article
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18 pages, 2712 KiB  
Article
Time-Restricted Feeding Could Not Reduce Rainbow Trout Lipid Deposition Induced by Artificial Night Light
by Hanying Xu, Ce Shi, Yangfang Ye, Changbin Song, Changkao Mu and Chunlin Wang
Metabolites 2022, 12(10), 904; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12100904 - 26 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1820
Abstract
Artificial night light (ALAN) could lead to circadian rhythm disorders and disrupt normal lipid metabolism, while time-restricted feeding (TRF) could maintain metabolic homeostasis. In mammals, TRF has been demonstrated to have extraordinary effects on the metabolic regulation caused by circadian rhythm disorders, but [...] Read more.
Artificial night light (ALAN) could lead to circadian rhythm disorders and disrupt normal lipid metabolism, while time-restricted feeding (TRF) could maintain metabolic homeostasis. In mammals, TRF has been demonstrated to have extraordinary effects on the metabolic regulation caused by circadian rhythm disorders, but studies in lower vertebrates such as fish are still scarce. In this study, the impacts of ALAN on the body composition and lipid metabolism of juvenile rainbow trout were investigated by continuous light (LL) exposure as well as whether TRF could alleviate the negative effects of LL. The results showed that LL upregulated the expression of lipid synthesis (fas and srebp-1c) genes and suppressed the expression of lipid lipolysis (pparβ, cpt-1a, and lpl) genes in the liver, finally promoting lipid accumulation in juvenile rainbow trout. However, LL downregulated the expression of genes (Δ6-fad, Δ9-fad, elovl2, and elovl5) related to long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) synthesis, resulting in a significant decrease in the proportion of LC-PUFA in the dorsal muscle. In serum, LL led to a decrease in glucose (Glu) levels and an increase in triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (H-DLC) levels. On the other hand, TRF (mid-dark stage feeding (D)) and mid-light stage feeding (L)) upregulated the expression of both the lipid synthesis (srebp-1c and pparγ), lipolysis (pparα, pparβ, and cpt-1a), and lipid transport (cd36/fat and fatp-1) genes, finally increasing the whole-body lipid, liver protein, and lipid content. Meanwhile, TRF (D and L groups) increased the proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and LC-PUFA in serum. In contrast, random feeding (R group) increased the serum Glu levels and decreased TG, total cholesterol (T-CHO), and H-DLC levels, suggesting stress and poor nutritional status. In conclusion, ALAN led to lipid accumulation and a significant decrease in muscle LC-PUFA proportion, and TRF failed to rescue these negative effects. Full article
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22 pages, 2675 KiB  
Article
Profiling Phospholipids within Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar with Regards to a Novel Terrestrial Omega-3 Oil Source
by Richard Broughton, Douglas R. Tocher, Johnathan A. Napier and Mónica B. Betancor
Metabolites 2022, 12(9), 851; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12090851 - 10 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1727
Abstract
The development and inclusion of novel oils derived from genetically modified (GM) oilseeds into aquafeeds, to supplement and supplant current terrestrial oilseeds, as well as fish oils, warrants a more thorough investigation into lipid biochemical alterations within finfish species, such as Atlantic salmon. [...] Read more.
The development and inclusion of novel oils derived from genetically modified (GM) oilseeds into aquafeeds, to supplement and supplant current terrestrial oilseeds, as well as fish oils, warrants a more thorough investigation into lipid biochemical alterations within finfish species, such as Atlantic salmon. Five tissues were examined across two harvesting timepoints to establish whether lipid isomeric alterations could be detected between a standard commercial diet versus a diet that incorporated the long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA), EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), derived from the GM oilseed Camelina sativa. Tissue-dependent trends were detected, indicating that certain organs, such as the brain, have a basal limit to LC-PUFA incorporation, though enrichment of these fatty acids is possible. Lipid acyl alterations, as well as putative stereospecific numbering (sn) isomer alterations, were also detected, providing evidence that GM oils may modify lipid structure, with lipids of interest providing a set of targeted markers by which lipid alterations can be monitored across various novel diets. Full article
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21 pages, 3254 KiB  
Article
Mechanism Analysis of Metabolic Fatty Liver on Largemouth Bass (Micropterus salmoides) Based on Integrated Lipidomics and Proteomics
by Moyong Xue, Ting Yao, Min Xue, Frédéric Francis, Yuchang Qin, Ming Jia, Junguo Li and Xu Gu
Metabolites 2022, 12(8), 759; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12080759 - 17 Aug 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2305
Abstract
Metabolic fatty liver disease caused by high-starch diet restricted the intensive and sustainable development of carnivorous fish such as largemouth bass. In this study, the combination liver proteomic and lipidomic approach was employed to investigate the key signaling pathways and identify the critical [...] Read more.
Metabolic fatty liver disease caused by high-starch diet restricted the intensive and sustainable development of carnivorous fish such as largemouth bass. In this study, the combination liver proteomic and lipidomic approach was employed to investigate the key signaling pathways and identify the critical biomarkers of fatty liver in largemouth bass. Joint analysis of the correlated differential proteins and lipids revealed nine common metabolic pathways; it was determined that FABP1 were significantly up-regulated in terms of transporting more triglycerides into the liver, while ABCA1 and VDAC1 proteins were significantly down-regulated in terms of preventing the transport of lipids and cholesterol out of the liver, leading to triglyceride accumulation in hepatocyte, eventually resulting in metabolic fatty liver disease. The results indicate that FABP1, ABCA1 and VDAC1 could be potential biomarkers for treating metabolic fatty liver disease of largemouth bass. Full article
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15 pages, 2764 KiB  
Article
Enzymatic Chicken Pulp Promotes Appetite, Digestive Enzyme Activity, and Growth in Litopenaeus vannamei
by Vivian Hlordzi, Beiping Tan, Xiaohui Dong, Shuang Zhang, Lin Zhu, Ling Zhang, Xiangna Hu and Shuyan Chi
Metabolites 2022, 12(8), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12080698 - 27 Jul 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1769
Abstract
Enzymatic chicken pulp (ECP) is an animal protein source that has been proven to be of excellent nutritional content and good quality for the majority of aquatic organisms because of its quality protein, small peptides, palatability, vitamins, and minerals. An 8-week nutritional trial [...] Read more.
Enzymatic chicken pulp (ECP) is an animal protein source that has been proven to be of excellent nutritional content and good quality for the majority of aquatic organisms because of its quality protein, small peptides, palatability, vitamins, and minerals. An 8-week nutritional trial was conducted to assess the effects of an ECP-based diet on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, and gene mRNA expression of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Fish soluble pulp (FSP) served as the control group while in the experimental groups, and ECPs with three protein contents were used to replace FSP in equal amounts, named ECP1, ECP2, and ECP3, respectively. No significant difference in weight gain rate, specific growth rate, survival rate, or feed conversion ratio was observed (p > 0.05) between the groups. Ash content in the Pacific shrimp’s whole body was significantly higher in the ECP1 and ECP3 groups compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Intestinal amylase and protease activities were the highest in the ECP1 and ECP2 groups, respectively (p < 0.05). With respect to gene mRNA expression, neuropeptide Y, excitatory amino acid transporter, and fatty acid transport protein 4 were significantly high in the ECP1 group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, these three ECPs have their advantages to replace FSP in shrimp feed, but ECP1 is more effective if the effects of digestive enzyme activity, appetite, and expression of growth-related genes are considered. Full article
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17 pages, 2299 KiB  
Article
miR-1/AMPK-Mediated Glucose and Lipid Metabolism under Chronic Hypothermia in the Liver of Freshwater Drum, Aplodinotus grunniens
by Jianxiang Chen, Changyou Song, Haibo Wen, Guangxiang Liu, Ningyuan Wu, Hongxia Li, Miaomiao Xue and Pao Xu
Metabolites 2022, 12(8), 697; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12080697 - 27 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2239
Abstract
Our previous study demonstrated that low temperature could induce hepatic inflammation and suppress the immune and oxidation resistance of freshwater drum. However, the metabolism, especially the glucose and lipid metabolism involved, is poorly studied. To further explore the chronic hypothermia response of freshwater [...] Read more.
Our previous study demonstrated that low temperature could induce hepatic inflammation and suppress the immune and oxidation resistance of freshwater drum. However, the metabolism, especially the glucose and lipid metabolism involved, is poorly studied. To further explore the chronic hypothermia response of freshwater drum, an 8-day hypothermia experiment was conducted at 10 °C to investigate the effect of chronic hypothermia on glucose and lipid metabolism via biochemical and physiological indexes, and metabolic enzyme activities, miRNAs and mRNA-miRNA integrate analysis in the liver. Plasma and hepatic biochemical parameters reveal chronic hypothermia-promoted energy expenditure. Metabolic enzyme levels uncover that glycolysis was enhanced but lipid metabolism was suppressed. Differentially expressed miRNAs induced by hypothermia were mainly involved in glucose and lipid metabolism, programmed cell death, disease, and cancerization. Specifically, KEGG enrichment indicates that AMPK signaling was dysregulated. mRNA-miRNA integrated analysis manifests miR-1 and AMPK, which were actively co-related in the regulatory network. Furthermore, transcriptional expression of key genes demonstrates hypothermia-activated AMPK signaling by miR-1 and subsequently inhibited the downstream glucogenic and glycogenic gene expression and gene expression of fatty acid synthesis. However, glycogenesis was alleviated to the control level while fatty acid synthesis was still suppressed at 8 d. Meanwhile, the gene expressions of glycolysis and fatty acid oxidation were augmented under hypothermia. In conclusion, these results suggest that miR-1/AMPK is an important target for chronic hypothermia control. It provides a theoretical basis for hypothermia resistance on freshwater drum. Full article
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16 pages, 1384 KiB  
Article
Muscle Nutritive Metabolism Changes after Dietary Fishmeal Replaced by Cottonseed Meal in Golden Pompano (Trachinotus ovatus)
by Yawen Qin, Chaoqun He, Haoyu Geng, Wenqiang Wang, Peng Yang, Kangsen Mai and Fei Song
Metabolites 2022, 12(7), 576; https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo12070576 - 22 Jun 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2041
Abstract
Our previous study demonstrated that based on growth performance and feed utilization, cottonseed meal (CSM) could substitute 20% fishmeal (FM) without adverse effect on golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). Muscle deposition was also an important indicator to evaluate the efficiency of alternative [...] Read more.
Our previous study demonstrated that based on growth performance and feed utilization, cottonseed meal (CSM) could substitute 20% fishmeal (FM) without adverse effect on golden pompano (Trachinotus ovatus). Muscle deposition was also an important indicator to evaluate the efficiency of alternative protein sources. Therefore, the present study was conducted to explore the changes of physiobiochemical and nutrient metabolism in muscle after FM replaced by CSM. Four isonitrogenous and isolipidic experimental diets (42.5% crude protein, 14.0% crude lipid) were formulated to replace 0% (CSM0 diet), 20% (CSM20 diet), 40% (CSM40 diet), and 60% (CSM60 diet) of FM with CSM. Juvenile fish (24.8 ± 0.02 g) were fed each diet for 6 weeks. The results presented, which, compared with the CSM0 diet, CSM20 and CSM40 diets, had no effect on changing the muscle proximate composition and free essential amino acid (EAA) concentration. For glycolipid metabolism, the CSM20 diet did not change the mRNA expression of hexokinase (hk), glucose transport protein 4 (glut4), glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (glp-1r), while over 20% replacement impaired glucose metabolism. However, CSM20 and CSM40 diets had no effect on altering lipid metabolism. Mechanistically, compared with the CSM0 diet, the CSM20 diet did not change muscle nutritive metabolism through keeping the activities of the nutrient sensing signaling pathways stable. Higher replacement would break this balance and lead to muscle nutritive metabolism disorders. Based on the results, CSM could substitute 20–40% FM without affecting the muscle nutritive deposition. All data supplemented the powerful support for our previous conclusion that CSM could successfully replace 20% FM based on growth performance. Full article
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