Astragalus membranaceus (AM) enhances growth performance and antioxidant stress profiles in bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus)

• Published in: Fish physiology and biochemistry 2016-06, Vol.42 (3), p.955-966
• Main Authors: Elabd, Hiam, Wang, Han-Ping, Shaheen, Adel, Yao, Hong, Abbass, Amany
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alanine Transaminase - blood; Alanine Transaminase - metabolism; Animal Anatomy; Animal Biochemistry; Animal Physiology; Animals; Aquaculture; Aquaculture - methods; Aspartate Aminotransferases - blood; Astragalus; Astragalus propinquus; Biomarkers; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Blood Glucose - analysis; Catalase - metabolism; Cold Temperature; Diet; Feed conversion; Fish; Fish Proteins - metabolism; Freshwater; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Glutathione Peroxidase - metabolism; Growth rate; Histology; Hydrocortisone - blood; Lepomis macrochirus; Life Sciences; Liver - metabolism; Morphology; Oxidative stress; Perciformes - blood; Perciformes - growth & development; Perciformes - metabolism; Stress, Physiological; Superoxide Dismutase - blood; Superoxide Dismutase - metabolism; Sustainable aquaculture; Water temperature; Zoology
• ISSN: 0920-1742; 1573-5168
• DOI: 10.1007/s10695-015-0188-9

This study was designed to assess the potential effects of Astragalus membranaceus (AM) on the growth performance and antioxidative stress response in bluegill sunfish ( Lepomis macrochirus ) exposed to challenging cold water temperature conditions. In this regard, fish with an average weight of 43 ± 1 g were divided into four groups and fed daily with an AM-free diet (control), and 1.5, 3, and 4.5 % (w/w) AM-incorporated diets for an 8-week period. Oxidative stress response, biochemical, and growth parameters were measured, and subgroups of fish were exposed to the outside challenging cold pond water temperature (1.6–9.9 °C) with an average of 7.0 ± 0.1 °C beyond the optimal temperature. The results showed that incorporating AM in the diet significantly improved growth performance parameters (body mass gain, specific growth rate, length, condition factor, and feed conversion ratio) and biochemicals (aspartate aminotransferase and alanine transaminase activities, and glucose and cortisol concentrations). In addition, markedly up-regulated superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activities were observed in AM-treated fish groups over the control. Conclusively, feeding AM diets significantly increased ( P