Protective effects of seaweed supplemented diet on antioxidant and immune responses in European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) subjected to bacterial infection

Sci Rep. 2019 Nov 6;9(1):16134. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-52693-6.

Abstract

European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) production is often hampered by bacterial infections such as photobacteriosis caused by Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida (Phdp). Since diet can impact fish immunity, this work investigated the effect of dietary supplementation of 5% Gracilaria sp. aqueous extract (GRA) on seabass antioxidant capacity and resistance against Phdp. After infection, mortality was delayed in fish fed GRA, which also revealed increased lysozyme activity levels, as well as decreased lipid peroxidation, suggesting higher antioxidant capacity than in fish fed a control diet. Dietary GRA induced a down-regulation of hepatic stress-responsive heat shock proteins (grp-78, grp-170, grp-94, grp-75), while bacterial infection caused a down-regulation in antioxidant genes (prdx4 and mn-sod). Diet and infection interaction down-regulated the transcription levels of genes associated with oxidative stress response (prdx5 and gpx4) in liver. In head-kidney, GRA led to an up-regulation of genes associated with inflammation (il34, ccr9, cd33) and a down-regulation of genes related to cytokine signalling (mif, il1b, defb, a2m, myd88). Additionally, bacterial infection up-regulated immunoglobulins production (IgMs) and down-regulated the transcription of the antimicrobial peptide leap2 in head kidney. Overall, we found that GRA supplementation modulated seabass resistance to Phdp infection.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial, Veterinary
  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animal Feed*
  • Animals
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / biosynthesis
  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / genetics
  • Aquaculture
  • Bass / blood
  • Bass / immunology
  • Bass / physiology*
  • Blood Glucose / analysis
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Cytokines / genetics
  • Dietary Supplements*
  • Disease Resistance
  • Fish Diseases / diet therapy
  • Fish Diseases / immunology
  • Fish Diseases / metabolism
  • Fish Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gracilaria*
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / diet therapy
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / immunology
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / prevention & control
  • Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / veterinary*
  • Head Kidney / metabolism
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Heat-Shock Proteins / genetics
  • Immunoglobulin M / biosynthesis
  • Lipid Peroxidation
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Muramidase / blood
  • Photobacterium*
  • Triglycerides / blood

Substances

  • Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides
  • Blood Glucose
  • Cytokines
  • Heat-Shock Proteins
  • Immunoglobulin M
  • Triglycerides
  • Muramidase

Supplementary concepts

  • Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida