Effect of the Inclusion of Natural Pigments on the Performance and Gene Expression of Immune Response and Oxidative Stress of <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i> Cultured in a Biofloc System
Tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>) is one of the most important species in aquaculture, so the optimization of its culture by using sustainable strategies is fundamental. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of incorporating natural pigments (carrot and beetroot meal) as...
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MDPI AG
2025-06-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/6/282 |
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| author | Andres Elias Castro-Castellon Maria del Carmen Monroy-Dosta Aida Hamdan-Partida Martha Patricia Hernandez-Vergara Jorge Castro-Mejía German Castro-Mejia Arnulfo Misael Martinez-Meingüer José Antonio Mata-Sotres |
| author_facet | Andres Elias Castro-Castellon Maria del Carmen Monroy-Dosta Aida Hamdan-Partida Martha Patricia Hernandez-Vergara Jorge Castro-Mejía German Castro-Mejia Arnulfo Misael Martinez-Meingüer José Antonio Mata-Sotres |
| author_sort | Andres Elias Castro-Castellon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>) is one of the most important species in aquaculture, so the optimization of its culture by using sustainable strategies is fundamental. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of incorporating natural pigments (carrot and beetroot meal) as carbon sources in a biofloc system on the growth, immune response, and oxidative stress of <i>O. niloticus</i>. The experiment comprised four treatments: clear water as control (CT), biofloc with molasses (TBM), biofloc with carrot meal (TBC), and biofloc with beetroot meal (TBB). Results showed that biofloc helped to maintain optimal water quality and high survival rates, but specifically, TBC treatment achieved the highest growth rates and feed conversion ratio, along with elevated leukocyte counts, indicating improved health and immunity. Gene expression analysis revealed enhanced antioxidant activity (<i>sod</i>, <i>gpx</i>) and modulated immune responses (<i>tnf-α</i>, <i>il-1β</i>), particularly under thermal stress. Carrot meal emerged as an effective carbon source in biofloc systems, promoting growth, immune resilience, and oxidative stress resistance in tilapia, while beetroot meal improved pigmentation. These findings highlight the potential of natural pigments to enhance aquaculture sustainability and productivity. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-01ac65212b01409c808180e3a00ab9db |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2410-3888 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Fishes |
| spelling | doaj-art-01ac65212b01409c808180e3a00ab9db2025-08-20T03:24:37ZengMDPI AGFishes2410-38882025-06-0110628210.3390/fishes10060282Effect of the Inclusion of Natural Pigments on the Performance and Gene Expression of Immune Response and Oxidative Stress of <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i> Cultured in a Biofloc SystemAndres Elias Castro-Castellon0Maria del Carmen Monroy-Dosta1Aida Hamdan-Partida2Martha Patricia Hernandez-Vergara3Jorge Castro-Mejía4German Castro-Mejia5Arnulfo Misael Martinez-Meingüer6José Antonio Mata-Sotres7Doctorado en Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, MexicoDepartamento El Hombre y su Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, MexicoDepartamento de Atención a la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, MexicoTecnológico Nacional de México/Instituto Tecnológico de Boca del Río, Boca del Río 94290, MexicoDepartamento El Hombre y su Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, MexicoDepartamento El Hombre y su Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, MexicoDoctorado en Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, MexicoDepartamento El Hombre y su Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Xochimilco, Mexico City 04960, MexicoTilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>) is one of the most important species in aquaculture, so the optimization of its culture by using sustainable strategies is fundamental. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of incorporating natural pigments (carrot and beetroot meal) as carbon sources in a biofloc system on the growth, immune response, and oxidative stress of <i>O. niloticus</i>. The experiment comprised four treatments: clear water as control (CT), biofloc with molasses (TBM), biofloc with carrot meal (TBC), and biofloc with beetroot meal (TBB). Results showed that biofloc helped to maintain optimal water quality and high survival rates, but specifically, TBC treatment achieved the highest growth rates and feed conversion ratio, along with elevated leukocyte counts, indicating improved health and immunity. Gene expression analysis revealed enhanced antioxidant activity (<i>sod</i>, <i>gpx</i>) and modulated immune responses (<i>tnf-α</i>, <i>il-1β</i>), particularly under thermal stress. Carrot meal emerged as an effective carbon source in biofloc systems, promoting growth, immune resilience, and oxidative stress resistance in tilapia, while beetroot meal improved pigmentation. These findings highlight the potential of natural pigments to enhance aquaculture sustainability and productivity.https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/6/282carotenesbiofloctilapiagene expressionimmunity |
| spellingShingle | Andres Elias Castro-Castellon Maria del Carmen Monroy-Dosta Aida Hamdan-Partida Martha Patricia Hernandez-Vergara Jorge Castro-Mejía German Castro-Mejia Arnulfo Misael Martinez-Meingüer José Antonio Mata-Sotres Effect of the Inclusion of Natural Pigments on the Performance and Gene Expression of Immune Response and Oxidative Stress of <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i> Cultured in a Biofloc System Fishes carotenes biofloc tilapia gene expression immunity |
| title | Effect of the Inclusion of Natural Pigments on the Performance and Gene Expression of Immune Response and Oxidative Stress of <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i> Cultured in a Biofloc System |
| title_full | Effect of the Inclusion of Natural Pigments on the Performance and Gene Expression of Immune Response and Oxidative Stress of <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i> Cultured in a Biofloc System |
| title_fullStr | Effect of the Inclusion of Natural Pigments on the Performance and Gene Expression of Immune Response and Oxidative Stress of <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i> Cultured in a Biofloc System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of the Inclusion of Natural Pigments on the Performance and Gene Expression of Immune Response and Oxidative Stress of <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i> Cultured in a Biofloc System |
| title_short | Effect of the Inclusion of Natural Pigments on the Performance and Gene Expression of Immune Response and Oxidative Stress of <i>Oreochromis niloticus</i> Cultured in a Biofloc System |
| title_sort | effect of the inclusion of natural pigments on the performance and gene expression of immune response and oxidative stress of i oreochromis niloticus i cultured in a biofloc system |
| topic | carotenes biofloc tilapia gene expression immunity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2410-3888/10/6/282 |
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