Comparative transcriptomics of Penaeus vannamei hepatopancreas under mixed versus single carotenoid diets and subsequent ammonia challenge
To investigate the effects of dietary carotenoid formulations on hepatopancreatic transcriptomic responses of Penaeus vannamei under ammonia stress, RNA-seq was performed on hepatopancreatic tissues from shrimp fed either a mixed carotenoid formulation containing astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, and beta-carotene or an astaxanthin-only preparation at 100 mg/kg total carotenoids, alongside an unsupplemented control. Samples were collected before and after a 14-day low-salinity ammonia-N challenge. This dataset enables comparative analysis of formulation-specific gene expression patterns related to antioxidant defense, lipid metabolism, and stress responses, providing insights into the trade-off between carotenoid deposition and antioxidant utilization in crustaceans under environmental stress.