An experiment was conducted to study the stress mitigation and growth enhancing role of dietary L-tryptophan (TRP) under thermal stress in rohu, Labeo rohita fingerlings for 45 days. Seven hundred and twenty fishes were distributed in three major groups that are ambient temperature (26 °C), 34 and 38 °C in triplicate following a complete randomized design. Acclimation of fishes to 34 and 38 °C over average ambient temperatures were carried out at 1 °C/day. Each group was fed with a diet supplemented with 0, 0.36, 0.72 or 1.42 % L-TRP. Results showed that blood glucose and serum cortisol level were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the higher temperature groups than the ambient temperature group. Similarly, aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, CAT, superoxide dismutase activities were found to be significantly higher (p < 0.05) in the control groups (0 % L-TRP) and decreasing activities of these enzymes were observed with the increasing level of dietary L-TRP. In different temperature groups, L-TRP-supplemented groups were found to have higher (p < 0.05) growth, RGR and PER. The results obtained in the present study indicate that dietary L-TRP mitigates thermal stress and enhances growth. From the present study, we can conclude that dietary supplementation of L-TRP at the 0.72 % level in the diet is found to be optimum to reduce thermal stress even up to 38 °C in rohu, L. rohita. The baseline data obtained here could be useful for the farmers to formulate feeds to culture the fish in different agro-climatic zones.

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With the objective to develop an indoor tank seed rearing system for pearlspot (Etroplus suratensis), effects of three stocking densities in presence or absence of soil base were evaluated on growth, weight variation, survival and body composition in a 60‐day trial. The experiment had a 3 × 2 factorial design with three levels of stocking density (150, 300 and 450 fish m−3) and two levels of soil base (with and without) in triplicates. Pearlspot fry (27.5 ± 0.5 mm/0.39 ± 0.02 g) were stocked in experimental tanks (Length×Breadth×Height: 0.65 × 0.50 × 0.48 m) and fed with a formulated diet containing 29.85% crude protein. Increasing the stocking density from 150 to 450 fish m−3 significantly decreased the growth (average body weight and total length), daily weight gain, specific growth rate and survival (P < 0.001) and increased the feed conversion ratio (P < 0.01). Significantly lower growth and survival were observed in treatment having soil base compared with that of without soil base (P < 0.001). However, coefficients of variation at harvest weight and body composition of fingerlings were independent to stocking density and presence or absence of soil base (P > 0.05). A significant positive interaction effect of stocking density and presence or absence of soil base was observed on average body weight (P < 0.05) and survival (P < 0.001) of pearlspot fingerlings. This study suggests that stocking density of 150 fish m−3 without soil base in tanks would be appropriate for raising pearlspot fingerlings in brackishwater indoor seed rearing system.

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A partially characterized extract of Podophyllum hexandrum rhizomes was studied for its radioprotective potential in mice. A major portion of the podophyllotoxin was obtained from the extract by further fractionation. Acute toxicity and maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of a single intraperitoneal dose of the extract were studied in mice to evaluate the toxicity of the extract, if any. Radioprotective efficacy was determined in terms of survival against 10 Gy whole-body irradiation (WBI), protection against 1 Gy-induced chromosomal aberration (CA), and estimation of dose reduction factor (DRF) in irradiated and extract pretreated mice. The MTD was observed to be 60 mg/kg of body weight, whereas a dose of 90 mg/kg of body weight yielded 50% death in mice within 72 hours of intraperitoneal administration of the extract. A dose range of 15-20 mg/kg of body weight administered 2 hours before 10 Gy WBI of mice yielded 66% survival, while administration of 10-15 mg/kg of body weight of the extract 1 hour before WBI yielded more than 90% survival. A DRF of 1.625 was estimated for 10 and 15 mg/kg of body weight of the extract administered 1 hour before WBI. Further studies on modulation of 1 Gy-induced CA revealed significant radioprotective efficacy of the extract in mouse bone marrow cells. Partial removal of podophyllotoxin was useful in reducing toxicity of the extract without altering its radioprotective efficacy.

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