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This study investigated the effects of the inclusion of Mauritia flexuosa fruit pulp in the diet on the growth performance, economic benefit, muscle composition, total contents of carotenoids and flavonoids, chromaticity parameters, total antioxidant capacity, and lipid peroxidation in the hepatopancreas and muscle of the juvenile shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (weighing 1.26 ± 0.023 g). Five diets (37% protein, 10% lipid) consisting of 0 (control), 1.25%, 2.50%, 5.00% and 10.00% (w/w) M. flexuosa fruit pulp were formulated and provided to the shrimps (n = 50 per tank, treatments in triplicate) for 31 days. Results showed that there were no significant differences between the treatments in terms of the growth capacity, chromaticity parameters, muscle composition and total flavonoid content of shrimps (p > .05). However, the carotenoid content in the muscle and hepatopancreas of the shrimps was significantly increased due to the dietary carotenoids present in M. flexuosa fruit pulp (p < .05). This increase in the carotenoid content directly favoured the increase in the antioxidant capacity in the hepatopancreas and muscle of the shrimps (R2 = 0.99 and R2 = 0.97 respectively; p < .05). There was also a direct relationship between the carotenoid content and the decrease in lipid peroxidation in the hepatopancreas (R2 = 0.90; p < .05). The feed cost kg−1 in terms of weight gain and protein production decreased with the inclusion of high levels of M. flexuosa fruit pulp, reaching 8.11% and 18.76% of cost reduction, respectively, with the addition of 5.00% of M. flexuosa fruit pulp. Therefore, the inclusion of M. flexuosa fruit pulp in the diets of shrimp can increase the carotenoid content and the antioxidant capacity in the hepatopancreas and muscle, reduce lipid peroxidation in the hepatopancreas, and probably provide economic benefits for the rearing of juvenile shrimps.

We evaluated the effects of aqueous extracts of the cyanobacterium-producing microcystin (MC), Microcystis aeruginosa (strain RST9501), on detoxification capacity and glutathione (GSH) synthesis in liver, brain, gill, and muscle-as well as apoptotic protease (calpain) activity in liver and brain-in the common carp Cyprinus carpio (Teleostei: Cyprinidae). Experimental groups were defined as follows: (1) control (CTR); (2) carp treated with an aqueous extract from the toxic cyanobacteria M. aeruginosa in a final MC concentration of 25 μg/kg (MC 25); and (3) carp treated with an aqueous extract from the toxic cyanobacteria M. aeruginosa in a final MC concentration of 50 μg/kg (MC 50). Carp were gavaged with a cyanobacterial aqueous solution or MilliQ water (CTR group). The experiment was conducted for period of 48 h comprising two gavages with a 24-h interval between them. Some of the parameters analyzed in liver, brain, gill, and muscle included activity of the enzymes glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutamate cysteine ligase (GCL), glutathione reductase (GR), and GSH concentration. We also evaluated GST pi concentration by Western blot as well as calpain activity in liver and brain samples. In carp liver from the MC 50 group, we observed a decrease in GST and GCL activity, which was accompanied by a decreased GSH concentration. In addition, liver calpain activity was highly induced in carp at both MC doses. Thus, MC ingestion affected the liver antioxidant status through decreasing the GSH concentration and the activity of the enzyme involved in its synthesis (GCL). It also decreased the MC detoxification capacity of the liver because total GST activity decreased, a result that cannot be ascribed to GST pi levels. Because GSH acts as an uncompetitive inhibitor of calpain, its decrease should explain the higher activity of this apoptotic enzyme. The main goal of this study was to show that a decrease in GSH concentration is related to decreased activity of GCL, the limiting enzyme involved in GSH synthesis. Because MCs are phosphatase inhibitors and GCL is allosterically inhibited by phosphorylation, the cellular hyperphosphorylation state induced by MC exposure could act as a modulator factor for antioxidant defenses.

This study investigated the effects of the use of the inclusion of açaí on the diet of shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei on antioxidant and histopathological responses after exposure to ammonia. The shrimps were fed two experimental diets: control and with 10% of açaí inclusion (W/W), for 35 days. Afterwards, the organisms were exposed at four concentrations of ammonia (0.01‐control; 0.26; 0.48 and 0.91 mg NH3‐N L−1) for 96 hr. The total antioxidant capacity (ACAP) of the gills decreased significantly in both diets when exposed to ammonia, whereas in the muscle, the açaí promoted an increase in ACAP. Concomitantly, lipid peroxidation levels increased in the gills and decreased in muscle. After exposure to ammonia, glutathione‐S‐transferase activity increased in hepatopancreas in shrimps fed with açaí facilitating the detoxification of lipid peroxidation by‐products, and the concentration of protein sulfhydryl groups decreased in the gills and muscle of the shrimp of the control diet, evidencing protein damage, an unobserved response in shrimps that received the açaí diet. Histopathological changes decreased in açaí‐fed shrimps about the control diet after exposure to ammonia. It is concluded that açaí mitigated ammonia‐induced histopathological changes, improved the antioxidant defence system (gills and muscle) and attenuated the lipid damage in the muscle.