Plant-Based Additives Enhance Growth and Immunity in High-Fat Diet Channel Catfish

What is it about?

This study investigated the effects of glycyrrhetinic acid, berberine, and resveratrol on growth and inflammatory signaling in channel catfish fed a high-fat diet (HFD). The fish were divided into five experimental diets, including a control diet and four diets supplemented with the additives. The results showed that the fish fed the HFD had lower final body weight, body weight gain, and condition factor, but higher feed conversion ratio, hepatosomatic index, viscerosomatic index, and mesenteric fat index. The HFD also led to higher plasma glucose, cortisol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, liver total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein, while opposite trends were observed in total protein and high-density lipoprotein. The supplements restored these parameters to similar levels as the control group. The study also found upregulated gene expression of interleukin 1ß, nitric oxide, nuclear factor-kappa B, X box-binding protein 1, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, whereas reverse trends were observed in the additive-supplemented groups. Overall, the additives reduced endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation and enhanced the immune response in channel catfish fed HFD. The growth rate in this study was not significantly influenced by the rise in dietary fat levels, despite a minor tendency towards slower growth in the HFD group. Diet lipids' lack of protein-sparing impact is possibly influenced by dietary protein and fat levels, certain fish species, and feeding schedules. The majority of research links high dietary energy to metabolic imbalance, reduced feed intake, growth-depressing effects, and excessive lipid accumulation in the liver and other visceral organs. In fact, in this study, VSI, MFI, and HSI were all higher in the HFD-fed group. Interestingly, HFD supplemented with GA, berberine, and resveratrol improved this parameter, suggesting the decisive role of these additives on growth performance and alleviation of fat mass in this species fed on HFD. In fact, studies have shown that resveratrol, berberine, and GA consist of natural phenolic compounds, benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, and 3ß-monoglucuronyl-18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid, respectively, which improve growth performance and reduce fat mass in fish.

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Why is it important?

The study is important because it investigates the effects of glycyrrhetinic acid, berberine, and resveratrol on growth and inflammatory signaling in channel catfish fed a high-fat diet. This research provides valuable insights into the potential benefits of these additives in improving the health and well-being of fish, particularly in the context of high-fat diets. Key Takeaways: 1. The high-fat diet negatively impacted the growth and health of channel catfish, as indicated by lower final body weight, body weight gain, and specific growth rate, and higher hepatosomatic index, visceralsomatic index, and mesenteric fat index. 2. Supplementing the high-fat diet with glycyrrhetinic acid, berberine, and resveratrol improved the growth performance and alleviated fat mass in the fish. 3. These additives also reduced endoplasmic reticulum stress and inflammation, as demonstrated by improved immune response and lower levels of inflammation-related markers like plasma glucose, cortisol, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), liver total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). 4. Resveratrol, berberine, and glycyrrhetinic acid have been linked to natural phenolic compounds, benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, and 3ß-monoglucuronyl-18ß-glycyrrhetinic acid, respectively, which play a decisive role in improving growth performance and reducing fat mass in fish. 5. Additional research is needed to better understand the mechanisms behind these effects and to determine the optimal dosages and duration of supplementation for different fish species and dietary conditions.