title: Effects of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) immune status and growth performance.
abstract: The possible effect of dietary administration of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum) on gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) immune status and growth performance was studied. Fish were divided into 4 groups before being fed with commercial diet supplemented with 0% (control), 1%, 5% and 10% of fenugreek seeds for 4 weeks. The effects of the diets were analysed on the cellular (respiratory burst activity and leucocyte peroxidase content) and humoral (complement activity, antiprotease, total protein, peroxidase, and IgM level) immune parameters, as well as growth and haematological parameters (WBC and RBC counts). The results recorded enhancement in all the assayed parameters in fish fed fenugreek diets comparing to control fish. The expression of several immune-related genes in head-kidney (MHC1, CSF-1R, IL-8, and IgM) and different antioxidant enzyme genes in liver (GR, CAT and SOD) of seabream specimens were also investigated. Again, the highest fenugreek doses tested provoked significant up-regulation in most of immune-related genes and antioxidant enzyme genes (p < 0.05). No adverse effects were observed on intestine and liver morphology on fish fed fenugreek diets. The present results suggest that the fenugreek seed, specially the highest dosage used in the present work could be considered a good food supplement to improve the immune status and increase the production of gilthead seabream.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hydrobiology, National Research Center, Giza, Egypt; Fish Innate Immune System Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Elham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Awad
authors.affiliation: Fish Innate Immune System Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain.
authors.forename: Rebeca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cerezuela
authors.affiliation: Fish Innate Immune System Group, Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Faculty of Biology, Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia, 30100 Murcia, Spain. Electronic address: aesteban@um.es.
authors.forename: M Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Esteban
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002374:Catalase / Q000235:genetics; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D005980:Glutathione Reductase / Q000235:genetics; D060226:Head Kidney / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics; D007422:Intestines / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000276:immunology; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D016187:Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics; D021541:Sea Bream / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000276:immunology*; D012639:Seeds; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics; D029910:Trigonella
chemical_list: D029941:Fish Proteins; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D016209:Interleukin-8; D016187:Receptors, Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D002374:Catalase; D009195:Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D005980:Glutathione Reductase
keywords: Fenugreek; Gene expression; Gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.); Growth performance; Immune status