Metabolic Effect of Dietary Taurine Supplementation on Grouper (Epinephelus coioides): A 1H-NMR-Based Metabolomics Study

Abstract

Taurine is an indispensable amino acid for many fish species and taurine supplementation is needed when plant-based diets are used as the primary protein source for these species. However, there is limited information available to understand the physiological or metabolic effects of taurine on fish. In this study, 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomic analysis was conducted to identify the metabolic profile change in the fish intestine with the aim to assess the effect of dietary taurine supplementation on the physiological and metabolomic variation of fish, and reveal the possible mechanism of taurine’s metabolic effect. Grouper (Epinephelus coioides) were divided into four groups and fed diets containing 0.0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5% taurine supplementation for 84 days. After extraction using aqueous and organic solvents, 25 significant taurine-induced metabolic changes were identified. These metabolic changes in grouper intestine were characterized by differences in carbohydrate, amino acid, lipid and nucleotide. The results reflected both the physiological state and growth of the fish, and indicated that taurine supplementation significantly affects the metabolome of fish, improves energy utilization and amino acid uptake, promotes protein, lipid and purine synthesis, and accelerates fish growth.

The Antioxidant Role of a Taurine-Enriched Diet in Combating the Immunotoxic and Inflammatory Effects of Pyrethroids and/or Carbamates in Oreochromis niloticus

“…Besides, TUR makes the feed highly palatable because of its animal origin, whereas most formulas used in fish meals are of plant origin, which makes them less palatable for fish, thereby decreasing food consumption [ 34 ]. Similar growth-enhancing effects of TUR-supplemented diet were reported for white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei [ 52 ]; O. niloticus [ 38 ]; orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides [ 53 ]; and African catfish, Clarias gariepinus [ 54 , 55 ]. Moreover, a TUR-supplemented diet could improve the growth of common carp exposed to salinity stress (10 ppt range) for eight weeks [ 54 ].…”

Roles of dietary taurine in fish nutrition

“…However, the whole-body protein content in cobia (Rachycentron canadum) was increased with dietary taurine content (Watson et al 2013). Also, grouper (Epinephelus coioides) fed dietary taurine improved amino acid uptake and protein synthesis by the actions of metabolic regulation in the protein synthesis pathway (Shen et al 2019). So, taurine has improved the protein metabolism in fish by optimizing the mitochondrial protein synthesis and TOR gene expression.…”

“…In addition, lipase activity in the intestine of juvenile black carp (M. piceus) and turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) was significantly increased with taurine supplementation in low fish meal diet (Zhang et al 2018(Zhang et al , 2019. Meanwhile, dietary taurine increased the lipid metabolism of grouper (Epinephelus coioides) by optimizing the lipid digestion and metabolic regulation (Shen et al 2019). Thus, taurine has important roles in lipid metabolism in fish, including bile acid synthesis, lipid emulsification, lipid digestion and absorption, and body lipid deposition.…”

Malate enhances survival of zebrafish against Vibrio alginolyticus infection in the same manner as taurine

“…In aquaculture, dietary taurine improves growth, regulates immunity, and enhances the antioxidant capacity in crab (Eriocheir sinensis) [41]. Taurine supplementation affects the metabolome, improves energy utilization and amino acid uptake, promotes protein, lipid, and purine synthesis, and accelerates growth in grouper (Epinephelus coioides) [42]. However, Kortner et al indicated that dietary supplementation with 0.4% taurine in salmon does not relieve gut enteritis, which is the first pathogenic stage of vibriosis with enteritis [43].…”