Maternal supplementation of nano-selenium in a plant-based diet improves antioxidant competence of female Arabian yellowfin sea bream (Acanthopagrus arabicus) breeders and their progeny

Antioxidants such as selenium (Se) play vital roles in reproduction success and larval development in fish. A three-month feeding experiment was conducted to examine the impact of enriching a plant-based diet (60% of fishmeal was substituted with a blend of plant ingredients) with nano-selenium (nano-Se) on antioxidant metabolism in female brooders and the progeny of Arabian yellowfin sea bream (Acanthopagrus arabicus). At this point, the plant-based diet was supplemented with graded levels of nano-Se at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 mg/Kg diet. Moreover, a fishmeal-based diet served as a positive control (FMD-Control). Broodfish were randomly distributed into eighteen 10 m³ rectangular concrete tanks (8 males and 8 females in each tank). Each experimental diet was subjected to three replications. Selenium retention increased in the serum, liver, ovary, eggs, and three-day larvae with increasing dietary nano-Se levels (P < 0.05). Supplementing the plant-based diet with 2-4 mg nano-Se/Kg significantly enhanced normal embryogenesis, fertilization, hatching, and larval survival rates. Generally, fish fed on plant-based diets with lower nano-Se supplementation (0-0.5 mg/Kg) had higher catalase and superoxide dismutase activities in the liver, ovaries, eggs, and larvae compared to the other groups. Glutathione peroxidase activity and total antioxidant capacity markedly increased, whereas lipid peroxidation decreased in the liver, ovary, serum, eggs, and progeny of broodfish fed with nano-Se supplemented diets (P < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation of 2-4 mg nano-Se /Kg in a plan-based feed is recommended for the improvement of antioxidant defense in female A. arabicus brooders and their progeny.

Direct transfer to different salinities and its effect on energy and metabolic enzymes in juveniles and adults of yellowfin sea bream Acanthopagrus arabicus

Juveniles and adults of Acanthopagrus arabicus were studied to compare the effect of different salt concentrations (1.5, 7.5, 15, 30 and 45 psu) at 6, 24, 48 and 96 h on activities of the enzymes creatine kinase (CK) in gills, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in plasma and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in intestine. CK and LDH were found to exhibit superior activity in adults compared to juveniles. All enzymes exhibited heightened activity with the increase in salinity and decreased activity with the passage of time in all salinities. Results showed that three enzymes exhibited excellent performance in adults than in juveniles.

Sex steroid disrupting effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the Persian Gulf Arabian Sea bream, Acanthopagrus arabicus: In vitro model of environmental drug contamination

The presence of pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystems and their impact on humans and the environment are growing concerns in environmental health. This study aimed to evaluate the potential reproductive effects of diclofenac, ibuprofen, and aspirin on dissociated ovarian and testicular cells from Arabian Sea bream, Acanthopagrus arabicus. The cells were exposed to varying concentrations of the pharmaceuticals for 48 h. Steroid (17-β-estradiol (E2) and 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT)) production by the cells was assessed at 0, 12, 24, and 48 h of the experiment. The findings showed that diclofenac did not impact the production of E2 and 11-KT by ovarian cells, but it did significantly decrease the secretion of 11-KT from testicular cells. Ibuprofen and aspirin, on the other hand, both increased the production of the studied steroid hormones by ovarian cells and reduced the secretion of 11-KT by testicular cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The pharmaceuticals studied were potent inhibitors of 11-KT secretion, particularly at higher concentrations in the cultured testicular cells. However, they were also found to stimulate steroid production from fish ovarian cells. In conclusion, the results suggest that analgesics (diclofenac, ibuprofen, and aspirin) have the potential to disrupt estrogen biosynthesis and impact reproduction in fish.

Using cell culture systems from the Persian Gulf Arabian yellowfin sea bream, Acanthopagrus arabicus, to assess the effects of dexamethasone on gonad and brain aromatase activity and steroid production

Dexamethasone (DEX) is a synthetic glucocorticoid widely used as pharmaceutical and usually exists in effluents with varying degrees of concentrations. In this study, cultivated Brain, ovary and testis cells from Arabian Sea bream, Acanthopagrus arabicus, were treated by DEX at concentrations of 0, 0.3, 3.0, 30.0 and 300.0 μg/ml for 48 h. The aromatase activity and steroid (17-β-estradiol (E2), progesterone (P) and testosterone (T)) production by cells were measured at 12, 24 and 48 h of the experiment. The results showed that the sensitivity of cultivated ovarian, testicular and brain cells to DEX increased dose dependently. DEX was potent inhibitor of aromatase activity at specially 30.0 and 300.0 μg/ml in the cultivated ovarian and testicular cells at different sampling time. On the other hand, DEX was found to stimulate the aromatase activity of fish brain. DEX also decreased E2, P and T production by cultivated ovarian and testicular cells during the experiment. While, DEX caused an increase in the production of E2 and P by brain cells, which seems logical considering the stimulating effect of this drug on brain aromatase activity. In conclusion, results highlight that DEX is able to change the activity of aromatase, and disrupt the biosynthesis of estrogens and thus affect reproduction in fish.