Passionfruit Peel Powder Stimulates the Immune and Antioxidant Defense System in Nile Tilapia, IOreochromis niloticus/I, Cultivated in a Biofloc System

• Published in: Fishes 2022-09, Vol.7 (5)
• Main Authors: Outama, Piyatida, Linh, Nguyen Vu, Xuan, Chinh Le, Wannavijit, Supreya, Tongsiri, Sudaporn, Chitmanat, Chanagun, Montha, Napatsorn, Van Doan, Hien
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Food and nutrition; Nutritional aspects; Passion fruit; Physiological aspects; Tilapia
• ISSN: 2410-3888; 2410-3888
• DOI: 10.3390/fishes7050233

This study aimed to assess the impacts of dietary supplementation with passionfruit (Passiflora edulis) peel powder (PSPP) on the growth, immune response, and expression of immune and antioxidant-related genes in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) maintained in a biofloc system. Fish were fed basal diets supplemented with different doses of PSPP at 10 g kg[sup.−1] (PSPP10), 20 g kg[sup.−1] (PSPP20), 40 g kg[sup.−1] (PSPP40), and 80 g kg[sup.−1] (PSPP80). The basal diet, without PSPP-supplementation, was used as a control at 0 g kg[sup.−1] (PSPP0). We observed that the dietary supplementation groups fed different levels of PSPP exhibited no substantial difference or only slight increases in growth performance and immunological response in Nile tilapia (p > 0.05), whereas fish fed diets supplemented with PSPP at concentrations of 10 g kg[sup.−1] , 20 g kg[sup.−1] , and 40 g kg[sup.−1] had significantly higher mRNA transcripts (approximately 1.5–4.5 fold) of immune (il-1, il-8, and lbp) and antioxidant (gst-α, gpx, and gsr) gene expressions than fish in the control treatment group (0 g kg[sup.−1] ). These findings suggest that dietary supplementation with PSPP may effectively stimulate the immune and antioxidant defense system and may function as feed additives in Nile tilapia cultured in a biofloc system.