Pre-Transport Salt Baths Mitigate Physiological Stress and Tissue Damage in Channel Catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>) Fingerlings: Evidence from Multi-Biomarker Assessment and Histopathology
Effective transport strategies are critical for the survival and welfare of juvenile <i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>, but the effects of pre-transport salt bath treatments remain uncertain. In this study, we systematically evaluated the effects of pre-transport salt bath acclimation at 0‰ (S1...
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2025-07-01
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| author | Guowei Huang Haohua Li Juguang Wang Tao Liao Liang Qiu Guangquan Xiong Lan Wang Chan Bai Yu Zhang |
| author_facet | Guowei Huang Haohua Li Juguang Wang Tao Liao Liang Qiu Guangquan Xiong Lan Wang Chan Bai Yu Zhang |
| author_sort | Guowei Huang |
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| description | Effective transport strategies are critical for the survival and welfare of juvenile <i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>, but the effects of pre-transport salt bath treatments remain uncertain. In this study, we systematically evaluated the effects of pre-transport salt bath acclimation at 0‰ (S1), 1‰ (S2), 5‰ (S3), and 9‰ (S4) salinity for 30 min on stress resilience and recovery in fingerlings during 12 h of simulated transport and 24 h of recovery. All fish survived, but total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) increased, and pH decreased in all groups, except S3, which showed significantly lower TAN and higher pH (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The S3 and S4 groups showed attenuated increases in serum cortisol and glucose, with S3 exhibiting the fastest return to baseline levels and stable serum sodium and potassium levels. Liver antioxidant enzyme activities in group S3 remained stable, with the lowest malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. Integrated biomarker response (IBR) and histological analyses demonstrated that S3 had the lowest systemic stress and tissue damage, whereas S1 and S4 displayed marked cellular disruption. These results indicate that a 5‰ salt bath applied prior to transport may improve water quality, mitigate stress responses, and preserve tissue integrity in juvenile channel catfish. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings in other species and under commercial transport conditions. |
| format | Article |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-28a6d2c92a8240a2a2e31faaffa9372e2025-08-20T03:02:48ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-07-011515224910.3390/ani15152249Pre-Transport Salt Baths Mitigate Physiological Stress and Tissue Damage in Channel Catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>) Fingerlings: Evidence from Multi-Biomarker Assessment and HistopathologyGuowei Huang0Haohua Li1Juguang Wang2Tao Liao3Liang Qiu4Guangquan Xiong5Lan Wang6Chan Bai7Yu Zhang8School of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agro-Product Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agro-Product Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agro-Product Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agro-Product Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agro-Product Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agro-Product Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, ChinaKey Laboratory of Cold Chain Logistics Technology for Agro-Product, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Agro-Product Processing and Nuclear Agricultural Technology, Hubei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430064, ChinaSchool of Life Sciences and Health Engineering, Hubei University of Technology, Wuhan 430068, ChinaEffective transport strategies are critical for the survival and welfare of juvenile <i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>, but the effects of pre-transport salt bath treatments remain uncertain. In this study, we systematically evaluated the effects of pre-transport salt bath acclimation at 0‰ (S1), 1‰ (S2), 5‰ (S3), and 9‰ (S4) salinity for 30 min on stress resilience and recovery in fingerlings during 12 h of simulated transport and 24 h of recovery. All fish survived, but total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) increased, and pH decreased in all groups, except S3, which showed significantly lower TAN and higher pH (<i>p</i> < 0.05). The S3 and S4 groups showed attenuated increases in serum cortisol and glucose, with S3 exhibiting the fastest return to baseline levels and stable serum sodium and potassium levels. Liver antioxidant enzyme activities in group S3 remained stable, with the lowest malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation. Integrated biomarker response (IBR) and histological analyses demonstrated that S3 had the lowest systemic stress and tissue damage, whereas S1 and S4 displayed marked cellular disruption. These results indicate that a 5‰ salt bath applied prior to transport may improve water quality, mitigate stress responses, and preserve tissue integrity in juvenile channel catfish. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings in other species and under commercial transport conditions.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/15/2249salt bathjuvenile <i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>simulated transporttransport efficiency |
| spellingShingle | Guowei Huang Haohua Li Juguang Wang Tao Liao Liang Qiu Guangquan Xiong Lan Wang Chan Bai Yu Zhang Pre-Transport Salt Baths Mitigate Physiological Stress and Tissue Damage in Channel Catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>) Fingerlings: Evidence from Multi-Biomarker Assessment and Histopathology Animals salt bath juvenile <i>Ictalurus punctatus</i> simulated transport transport efficiency |
| title | Pre-Transport Salt Baths Mitigate Physiological Stress and Tissue Damage in Channel Catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>) Fingerlings: Evidence from Multi-Biomarker Assessment and Histopathology |
| title_full | Pre-Transport Salt Baths Mitigate Physiological Stress and Tissue Damage in Channel Catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>) Fingerlings: Evidence from Multi-Biomarker Assessment and Histopathology |
| title_fullStr | Pre-Transport Salt Baths Mitigate Physiological Stress and Tissue Damage in Channel Catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>) Fingerlings: Evidence from Multi-Biomarker Assessment and Histopathology |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pre-Transport Salt Baths Mitigate Physiological Stress and Tissue Damage in Channel Catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>) Fingerlings: Evidence from Multi-Biomarker Assessment and Histopathology |
| title_short | Pre-Transport Salt Baths Mitigate Physiological Stress and Tissue Damage in Channel Catfish (<i>Ictalurus punctatus</i>) Fingerlings: Evidence from Multi-Biomarker Assessment and Histopathology |
| title_sort | pre transport salt baths mitigate physiological stress and tissue damage in channel catfish i ictalurus punctatus i fingerlings evidence from multi biomarker assessment and histopathology |
| topic | salt bath juvenile <i>Ictalurus punctatus</i> simulated transport transport efficiency |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/15/2249 |
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