title: Dietary peppermint (Mentha piperita) extracts promote growth performance and increase the main humoral immune parameters (both at mucosal and systemic level) of Caspian brown trout (Salmo trutta caspius Kessler, 1877).
abstract: The effects of dietary administration of peppermint (Mentha piperita L.) on Caspian brown trout fish (Salmo trutta caspius) were studied. Fish were divided into 4 groups before being fed diets supplemented with 0% (control), 1%, 2% and 3% of peppermint extracts for 8 weeks. Dose-dependent increases in growth, immune (both in skin mucus and blood serum) and hematological parameters (number of white cells, hematocrit and hemoglobin content), as well as in amylase activity and in the number of lactic acid bacteria on intestine were recorded in fish fed supplemented diets compared to control fish. However, the dietary peppermint supplements have different effects on the number of blood leucocytes depending on the leukocyte cell type. While no significant differences were observed in the number of blood monocytes and eosinophils, the number of lymphocytes was decreased, respectively, on fish fed peppermint enriched diets, respect to the values found in control fish. Furthermore, dietary peppermint supplements have no significant effect on blood biochemical parameters, enzymatic activities of liver determined in serum and total viable aerobic bacterial count on intestine of Caspian brown trout. Present results support that dietary administration of peppermint promotes growth performance and increases the main humoral immune parameters (both at mucosal and systemic level) and the number of the endogenous lactic acid bacteria of Caspian brown trout. This study underlying several positive effects of dietary administration of peppermint to farmed fish.
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Animal Health and Diseases, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFSRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Milad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adel
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Caspian Sea Ecology Center, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Safari
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Animal Health and Diseases, Caspian Sea Ecology Center, Sari, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pourgholam
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquatic Animal Health and Diseases, Iranian Fisheries Science Research Institute (IFSRI), Agricultural Research Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Jalil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zorriehzahra
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: Maria Ángeles
authors.initials: MÁ
authors.lastname: Esteban
mesh_terms: D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000662:veterinary; D004032:Diet / Q000662:veterinary; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000032:analysis; D006403:Hematologic Tests / Q000662:veterinary; D056724:Immunity, Humoral / Q000187:drug effects*; D007422:Intestines / Q000201:enzymology / Q000382:microbiology; D036142:Mentha piperita / Q000737:chemistry*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D014337:Trout / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts
keywords: Blood biochemistry; Caspian brown trout; Growth performance; Humoral immunity; Lactic acid bacteria; Peppermint; Skin mucosal immunity