|
Dietary effect of brown macroalga (Dictyota dichotoma) on growth performance and related gene expression (GH and IGF-1) in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)
|
Roghieh Safari1 *   , Seyed hossein Hoseinifar1 , Ali Shabani1 , Hamed Ghafari2 , Mehdi Raeisi3 , Reza Khaleghi1 , Hein Van Doan4 , Metin Yazici5 , Mina Rahbar1 , Mehdi Nnoori6 |
1-Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Fisheries and Environmental Sciences, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran , fisheriessafari@yahoo.com
2- Department of Animal Science, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Shahrekord, Iran
3- Department of Animal Science and Aquaculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia, Canada
4- Department of Animal and Aquatic Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
5- Department of Animal Sciences, skenderun Technical University, Faculty of Marine Sciences and Technology, Iskenderun, Hatay, Turkey
6- Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran |
|
|
Abstract: (65 Views) |
Introduction: The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary inclusion of the brown macroalga Dictyota dichotoma on growth performance and the expression of growth-related genes (GH and IGF-1) in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Given the limited scientific evidence regarding the effects of D. dichotoma on fish growth and molecular physiology, this research was designed to explore its potential as a functional feed additive to enhance aquaculture performance.
Materials and Methods: A total of 120 juvenile common carp (average weight 22 ± 1 g) were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments: a control (0%) and three diets supplemented with D. dichotoma powder at 0.25%, 0.5%, and 1%. The macroalga was collected from the Mediterranean Sea (Iskenderun Bay, Turkey), shade-dried, ground, and incorporated into a commercial basal diet. Fish were fed twice daily at 3% of body weight for 8 weeks under controlled rearing conditions. Growth indices were measured at the beginning and end of the trial. Additionally, at the end of the 8-week feeding trial, expression levels of GH and IGF-1 were analyzed using quantitative real-time PCR on liver and brain tissues, respectively.
Results and Discussion: The dietary inclusion of D. dichotoma significantly improved final weight, weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) compared to the control group (p<0.05). The highest weight gain was observed in the 0.5% and 1% treatments, but there were no significant differences in final weight and SGR among the macroalga-treated groups (p>0.05). Additionally, FCR was significantly better in all macroalga-containing treatments than in the control group (p<0.05), with the best performance observed in the 0.5% and 1% treatments. Survival rate also improved with increasing macroalga dosage and showed a significant difference compared to the control (p≤0.05). Molecular analyses revealed that GH and IGF-1 expression levels were significantly elevated in all treatment groups (p<0.05). GH expression peaked in the 1% group, while IGF-1 was upregulated in all algae-fed groups without significant differences among them (p>0.05). These findings suggest that D. dichotoma may exert its growth-promoting effects through stimulation of the GH–IGF-1 axis.
Conclusion: These findings suggest that the dietary inclusion of brown macroalga, particularly at 0.5% and 1%, can enhance growth performance, feed efficiency, and survival in common carp. Additionally, the supplement may exert its beneficial effects by stimulating growth pathways through the upregulation of growth-related genes.
|
|
| Keywords: Brown algae, Growth, Gene expression, Common carp |
|
|
|
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/07/11 | Accepted: 2025/08/2 | Published: 2025/09/23
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Send email to the article author |
|
|
|
| Add your comments about this article |
|
|
|
|
Safari1 R, Hoseinifar1 S H, Shabani1 A, Ghafari H, Raeisi M, Khaleghi1 R, et al . Dietary effect of brown macroalga (Dictyota dichotoma) on growth performance and related gene expression (GH and IGF-1) in common carp (Cyprinus carpio). JAD 2025; 19 (3) :36-48 URL: http://aqudev.liau.ac.ir/article-1-906-en.html
|
