The effect of astaxanthin on resistance of juvenile prawns Macrobrachium nipponense (Decapoda: Palaemonidae) to physical and chemical stress

Abstract

Abstract:In recent years, the use of new scientific techniques has effectively improved aquaculture production processes. Astaxanthin has various properties in aquaculture and its antioxidant benefits have been closely related to stress resistance; besides, it is an essential factor for growth in many crustaceans and fish. The objective of this study was to evaluate the resistance of prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense) fed diets containing different amounts of astaxanthin (AX) to the shock and stress of different physicochemical environments. A 70-day trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of supplementation of a source of astaxanthin (Carophyll Pink, 10% astaxanthin, w/w, Hoffman-La Roche, Switzerland) at various levels in the diet of M. nipponense juveniles. Four dry diets were prepared: AX 0 without astaxanthin, AX 50 with 50mg/kg, AX 100 with 100mg/kg, and AX 150 with 150mg/kg astaxanthin. The feeding trial was conducted in a recirculation water system consisting of 12 fiberglass tanks (1 000L) used for holding prawns. Three replicate aquaria were initially stocked with 36org/ m 2 per tank. During the trial, prawns were maintained on a 12:12-h light:dark photoperiod with an ordinary incandescent lamp, and the water quality parameters were maintained as follows: water temperature, 25-26°C; salinity, 1g/L; pH, 8.5-8.8; dissolved oxygen, 6.0-6.5mg/L; and ammonia-nitrogen, 0.05mg/L. Incorporation of AX, production output, and physiological condition were recorded after 10 weeks of feeding. At the end of the growing period, the prawns were exposed to thermal shock (0°C), ammonia (0.75mg/L), and reduced oxygen (0.5mg/L). The time to lethargy and the time to complete death of the prawns were recorded. The results showed that control prawns had the shortest time to lethargy and death compared with prawns subjected to the other treatments. The results of this study have shown that the amount of muscle tissue and gill carotenoids in prawn fed with an AX 150 diet showed greater reduction than those exposed to other treatments. It is possible that higher levels of astaxanthin in the body under oxygen reduction stress can be beneficial for prawns. These results suggest that male prawns showed lethargy earlier than females, and the percentage of carotenoid reduction in muscle and gill tissues was higher in males. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (4): 1331-1341. Epub 2014 December 01.

Astaxanthin as feed supplement in aquatic animals

“…); (ii) as for oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense , endurance to multiple chemical and physical stresses such as deprived oxygen supply (0.5 mg L −1 ), ammonia spike (0.75 mg L −1 ) and thermal shock (0°C) was effectively ameliorated in prawns accepting diets containing different amounts of astaxanthin (50–150 mg kg −1 diet) after 10 weeks (Tizkar et al . ).…”

“…On the other hand, the administration of 50 and 100 mg astaxanthin kg À1 diet from either algal or synthetic sources resulted in enhanced tolerance of juvenile Kuruma prawn P. japonicus to hypoxic conditions (<0.5 mg L À1 ) in a trial lasted for 9 weeks (Chien & Shiau 2005). Two separate studies have reported better stress tolerance and disease resistance of freshwater prawns: (i) in the case of giant freshwater prawn M. rosenbergii, systemic astaxanthin injection at either dose of 0.67 or 1.34 nmol g À1 through ventral sinus of the cephalothorax has attributed a profound increment in total haemocyte count (THC) and hepatic astaxanthin content leading to improved resistance against Lactococcus garvieae infection, although no direct stress test was performed (Angeles et al 2009); (ii) as for oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense, endurance to multiple chemical and physical stresses such as deprived oxygen supply (0.5 mg L À1 ), ammonia spike (0.75 mg L À1 ) and thermal shock (0°C) was effectively ameliorated in prawns accepting diets containing different amounts of astaxanthin (50-150 mg kg À1 diet) after 10 weeks (Tizkar et al 2014). Approaches taken to examine the effect of astaxanthin on fish resulted in the same beneficial physiological effects.…”

Sustainable production of astaxanthin from Dilocarcinus pagei crab and optimisation of its extraction with edible oils

“…AST has very low solubility in water and it is slightly soluble in organic reagents, such as acetone (0.20 mg/mL), DMSO (0.5 mg/mL), chloroform (10 mg/mL), and dichloromethane (30 mg/mL) [ 17 ]. It has been reported that the antioxidant activity of AST is ten times higher than that of beta-carotene and one hundred times higher than that of α-tocopherol [ 19 ]. Moreover, it has been noted that this pigment has the potential to prevent and treat several health problems, such as inflammation, hepatic dysfunction, diabetes, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, gastrointestinal disorders, and ocular problems, as well as to improve fertility [ 20 ], skin and muscle conditions [ 17 ].…”

Insight into the Progress on Natural Dyes: Sources, Structural Features, Health Effects, Challenges, and Potential

“…Astaxanthin is widely found in nature, especially in aquaculture products such as shrimp, crab, and fish [ 18 ]. Astaxanthin, as a red–orange ketocarotenoid, has excellent antioxidant activity [ 19 ] and it is widely used as a color additive in production [ 20 ]. Lac dyes are pink–red–purple organic colourants derived from an insect and contain several components, such as laccaic acid A, laccaic acid B, laccaic acid C, laccaic acid D, and laccaic acid E [ 21 ].…”