Anti-stress properties and two HSP70s mRNA expressions of blunt snout bream (Megalobrama amblycephala) fed with all-plant-based diet

Abstract

The influence of all-plant-based diet on fingerling blunt snout breams (Megalobrama amblycephala) was tested by examining growth performance, anti-stress properties and related gene expression. Healthy fish were randomly divided into triplicate groups per dietary treatment and fed with different formulated diets. The results showed that both weight gain, specific growth rate and protein efficiency ratio of all-plant-based diet group were significant higher than those of the control (p < 0.05). In contrast, FCR of all-plant-based diet group was significantly lower than that of the control (p < 0.05). Therefore, all-plant-based diets could not affect the growth performance of blunt snout breams. Compared to the control group, the lysozyme levels in serum and mucus, and glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase activities in serum and liver decreased significantly (p < 0.05). In contrast, the glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activities in serum and liver increased significantly (p < 0.05). For blunt snout breams fed with all-plant-based diets, the superoxide dismutase activities in mucus, serum and liver as well as catalase activity in serum and liver were decreased significantly (p < 0.05) comparing with that of the control group. But malondialdehyde contents were higher (p < 0.05) in serum and liver than that of control group. The expression of HSC70 mRNA increased significantly (p < 0.05) in blunt snout breams fed with all-plant-based diet, whereas the HSP70 mRNA expression decreased significantly (p < 0.05) when compared with control group. In conclusion, all these results indicated that the application of all-plant-based diet could decrease the anti-stress properties (non-specific immunity, stress resistance and antioxidant ability) and HSP70 mRNA expression in blunt snout breams fingerling. Although all-plant-based diets could not affect the growth performance of blunt snout breams, the application of all-plant-based diet should be discreet in the production practice.