spp. water molds severely impact fish health in aquaculture, fish farms and hobby fish tanks colonizing mature and immature stages of fishes, as well as eggs. Considering that there are no drugs ...licensed for treating and/or control the organism, efficient and environmental low-impact methods to control these oomycetes in aquaculture are needed. The aim of the present report was to evaluate the in vitro sensitivity of
to essential oils (EOs) from
L.,
Risso et Poiteau,
Burm. f.,
Macfad,
Osbeck,
Blume,
(Nees ex Steud.) Watson,
Mill.,
Hook.f.,
(Lour.) Pers.,
L.,
L.,
L'Hér.,
Merr. & L.M.Perry, and
L., by microdilution test. The most effective EOs assayed were
and
, followed by
and
These EOs could be of interest for controlling
infections. Nevertheless, further safety studies are necessary to evaluate if these products could be dispersed in tank waters, or if their use should be limited to aquaculture supplies.
Zebrafish are one of the most used animal models in biological research and a cost-effective alternative to rodents. Despite this, nutritional requirements and standardized feeding protocols have not ...yet been established for this species. This is important to avoid nutritional effects on experimental outcomes, and especially when zebrafish models are used in preclinical studies, as many diseases have nutritional confounding factors. A key aspect of zebrafish nutrition is related to feed intake, the amount of feed ingested by each fish daily. With the goal of standardizing feeding protocols among the zebrafish community, this paper systematically reviews the available data from 73 studies on zebrafish feed intake, feeding regimes (levels), and diet composition. Great variability was observed regarding diet composition, especially regarding crude protein (mean 44.98 ± 9.87%) and lipid content (9.91 ± 5.40%). Interestingly, the gross energy levels of the zebrafish diets were similar across the reviewed studies (20.39 ± 2.10 kilojoules/g of feed). In most of the reviewed papers, fish received a predetermined quantity of feed (feed supplied). The authors fed the fish according to the voluntary intake and then calculated feed intake (FI) in only 17 papers. From a quantitative point of view, FI was higher than when a fixed quantity (pre-defined) of feed was supplied. Also, the literature showed that many biotic and abiotic factors may affect zebrafish FI. Finally, based on the FI data gathered from the literature, a new feeding protocol is proposed. In summary, a daily feeding rate of 9-10% of body weight is proposed for larvae, whereas these values are equal to 6-8% for juveniles and 5% for adults when a dry feed with a proper protein and energy content is used.
Milk oligosaccharides are a complex class of carbohydrates that act as bioactive factors in numerous defensive and physiological functions, including brain development. Early nutrition can modulate ...nervous system development and can lead to epigenetic imprinting. We attempted to increase the sialylated oligosaccharide content of zebrafish yolk reserves, with the aim of evaluating any short-term effects of the treatment on mortality, locomotor behavior, and gene expression. Wild-type embryos were microinjected with saline solution or solutions containing sialylated milk oligosaccharides extracted from human and bovine milk. The results suggest that burst activity and larval survival rates were unaffected by the treatments. Locomotion parameters were found to be similar during the light phase between control and treated larvae; in the dark, however, milk oligosaccharide-treated larvae showed increased test plate exploration. Thigmotaxis results did not reveal significant differences in either the light or the dark conditions. The RNA-seq analysis indicated that both treatments exert an antioxidant effect in developing fish. Moreover, sialylated human milk oligosaccharides seemed to increase the expression of genes related to cell cycle control and chromosomal replication, while bovine-derived oligosaccharides caused an increase in the expression of genes involved in synaptogenesis and neuronal signaling. These data shed some light on this poorly explored research field, showing that both human and bovine oligosaccharides support brain proliferation and maturation.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe X-linked neuromuscular childhood disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and degeneration. A lack of dystrophin in DMD leads to inflammatory ...response, autophagic dysregulation, and oxidative stress in skeletal muscle fibers that play a key role in the progression of the pathology. β-glucans can modulate immune function by modifying the phagocytic activity of immunocompetent cells, notably macrophages. Mitochondrial function is also involved in an important mechanism of the innate and adaptive immune responses, owing to high need for energy of immune cells. In the present study, the effects of 1,3-1,6 β-glucans on five-day-old non-dystrophic and dystrophic (sapje) zebrafish larvae were investigated. The effects of the sonication of β-glucans and the dechorionation of embryos were also evaluated. The results showed that the incidence of dystrophic phenotypes was reduced when dystrophic embryos were exposed to 2 and 4 mg L−1 of 1,3-1,6 β-glucans. Moreover, when the dystrophic larvae underwent 8 mg L−1 treatment, an improvement of the locomotor performances and mitochondrial respiration were observed. In conclusion, the observed results demonstrated that 1,3-1,6 β-glucans improve locomotor performances and mitochondrial function in dystrophic zebrafish. Therefore, for ameliorating their life quality, 1,3-1,6 β-glucans look like a promising diet supplement for DMD patients, even though further investigations are required.
The zebrafish (
) is a small vertebrate ideally suited to the modeling of human diseases. Large numbers of genetic alterations have now been modeled and could be used to study organ development by ...means of a genetic approach. To date, limited attention has been paid to the possible use of the zebrafish toolbox in studying human mitochondrial disorders affecting the nervous system. Here, we review the pertinent scientific literature discussing the use of zebrafish in modeling gene mutations involved in mitochondria-related neurological human diseases. A critical analysis of the literature suggests that the zebrafish not only lends itself to exploration of the pathological consequences of mitochondrial energy output on the nervous system but could also serve as an attractive platform for future drugs in an as yet untreatable category of human disorders.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene, is an inherited neuromuscular disorder that causes loss of muscle mass and motor skills. In the era of genomic medicine, ...there is still no known cure for DMD. In clinical practice, there is a growing awareness of the possible importance of nutrition in neuromuscular diseases. This is mostly the result of patients' or caregivers' empirical reports of how active substances derived from food have led to improved muscle strength and, thus, better quality of life. In this report, we investigate several nutraceutical principles in the
strain of zebrafish, a validated model of DMD, in order to identify possible natural products that, if supplemented in the diet, might improve the quality of life of DMD patients. Gingerol, a constituent of fresh ginger, statistically increased the locomotion of mutant larvae and upregulated the expression of heme oxygenase 1, a target gene for therapy aimed at improving dystrophic symptoms. Although three other compounds showed a partial positive effect on locomotor and muscle structure phenotypes, our nutraceutical screening study lent preliminary support to the efficacy and safety only of gingerol. Gingerol could easily be proposed as a dietary supplement in DMD.
This study investigated the effects of 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan added to the diet of Haidong chicks reared under hypoxic conditions, to ascertain the growth performances, immunity and intestinal ...morphology changes.
A total of 750 chicks were divided into five groups and fed diets containing 0.5g/kg, 1.0g/kg and 2.0g/kg 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan from yeast (G1, G2, G3, respectively), 0.2g/kg Taylor rhizomorph (T) and a control feed (C).
The body weight and body weight gain was higher in chicks fed 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan and Taylor rhizomorph than in control group. Feed conversion ratio significantly differed for G2 and G3 groups in comparison to control group. The relative weight of bursa was higher in G1, G2 and G3 groups. The white blood cells and lymphocytes were significantly increased in groups fed 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan. The IgG of serum peak appeared in the G3 group. The villous height of the duodenum was higher in 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan feed groups. In the jejunum, the villous height was higher in G2 and G3 groups and crypt depth for all the groups fed β-glucan;. At ileum level the villous height and crept depth was higher for groups G1, G2 and G3.
The growth performance of Haidong chicks is improved when 10 and 20 g/kg 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan is included in the diet; hence, it is suggested to diet include 1,3-1,6 beta-glucan in poultry diet to reduce and replace the use of antibiotics.
Historically, humans have been using
for both recreational and medical purposes. Nowadays, cannabis-based products have gained scientific interest due to their beneficial effects on several syndromes ...and illnesses. The biological activity of cannabinoids is essentially due to the interaction with the endocannabinoid system, and zebrafish (
) is a very well-known and powerful in vivo model for studying such specific interactions. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of different doses of a
whole extract dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) on zebrafish eggs' hatchability, embryo post-hatching survival, larvae locomotion behavior and mRNA gene expression. The results showed the absence of toxicity, and no significant differences were observed between treatments for both embryo hatching and survival rate. In addition, larvae exposed to the cannabis extract at the highest dose containing 1.73 nM and 22.3 nM of ∆
-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), respectively showed an increased locomotion compared to the control and DMSO treated groups. Moreover, qRT-PCR analysis showed that the highest dosage of cannabis induced an over-expression of
and
cannabinoid receptors. In conclusion, the exposition of zebrafish larvae to the whole extract of
showed no negative effects on embryo development and survival and enhanced the larvae's locomotor performances. These findings may open up possible
applications in human pharmacology as well as in other animal sectors.
While the production of fish from aquaculture has grown steadily over the years worldwide, some environmental concerns have emerged. In this study, the environmental impacts and main hotspots of a ...typical Italian sea bass and sea bream offshore farm were analysed. The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology was applied with a “cradle to farm gate” perspective and 1 ton of fish at harvest size as the functional unit. The results confirm that feed is the main hotspot and contributes across impact categories always at least 60%, with the exception of marine eutrophication driven instead by nutrient emissions. In some impact categories, infrastructure and farm operations also have a relevant impact (about 30%). The impacts of this case study are slightly lower than those found in the literature, and this is mainly due to prior attention of the company to feed formulation. An alternative scenario was also explored, by reducing the amount of uningested feed, showing a reduction in the Global Warming Potential by 6% and in marine eutrophication by up to 10%. The application and evaluation of new technologies (e.g., automated feed dispenser, use of alternative cage materials) could be explored in future research.
•Environmental analysis of an offshore fish farm in Italy.•Mass balance for the estimation of waste by fish metabolism.•Feed is a driver of results in all impact categories, except marine eutrophication.•Sea bream has a lower impact than sea bass thanks to better growing performances.•Sensitivity analysis on uningested feed.
The Western Honeybee is a key pollinator for natural as well as agricultural ecosystems. In the last decade massive honeybee colony losses have been observed worldwide, the result of a complex ...syndrome triggered by multiple stress factors, with the RNA virus Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) and the mite Varroa destructor playing crucial roles. The mite supports replication of DWV to high titers, which exert an immunosuppressive action and correlate with the onset of the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of 1,3-1,6 β-glucan, a natural innate immune system modulator, on honeybee response to low-titer natural and high-titer experimental DWV infection. As the effects exerted by ß-glucans can be remarkably different, depending on the target organism and the dose administered, two parallel experiments were performed, where 1,3-1,6 ß-glucan at a concentration of 0.5% and 2% respectively, was added to the diet of three cohorts of newly emerged honeybees, which were sampled from a Varroa-free apiary and harboured a low endogenous DWV viral titer. Each cohort was subjected to one of the following experimental treatments: no injection, injection of a high-copy number DWV suspension into the haemocel (experimental DWV infection) or injection of PBS into the haemocoel (physical injury). Control bees fed a ß-glucan-free diet were subjected to the same treatments. Viral load, survival rate, haemocyte populations and phenoloxidase activity of each experimental group were measured and compared. The results indicated that oral administration of 0.5% ß-glucan to naturally infected honeybees was associated with a significantly decrease of the number of infected bees and viral load they carried, and with a significant increase of the survival rate, suggesting that this natural immune modulator molecule might contribute to increase honeybee resistance to viral infection.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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