BACKGROUND: Microencapsulation of probiotic bacteria is an area that has rapidly expanded over the recent years. It is one of the new methods of improving probiotics stability, through which the biological agents are protected with an enclosed coating to release the active agents within the coating at a controlled rate in time and under special conditions.OBJECTIVES: The present study the aims to evaluate the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum microencapsulation with chitosan/alginate microparticles on the oxidative response of Nile tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus).METHODS: Herein, 240 pieces of Nile tilapia, with an average weight of 15.56±0.02 g, were randomly divided into four groups as follows: group1 or control with a diet without probiotics, groups 2, 3, and 4 respectively with a diet containing 108 Log CFU/g of unencapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum, a diet containing microencapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum, and with feed containing alginate with chitosan without the presence of bacteria. They were fed for 60 days at the rate of 2 % of body weight twice a day.RESULTS: The activity level of oxidative enzymes, biochemical factors, and liver enzymes of the Nile tilapia fish were investigated. The findings revealed that oxidative enzymes, biochemical factors, and liver enzymes were positively affected in the groups with microencapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum (P<0.05). The three enzymes of alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase were higher in the micro-encapsulated probiotic group compared to the two groups of probiotics and alginate with chitosan without the presence of bacteria, and all the three groups performed better compared to the control (P<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: Microencapsulation of probiotics maximizes the efficiency of probiotics in reducing oxidative stress.

The present study evaluated the dietary supplementation with essential oil of Lippia alba on the hemato-immunological parameters of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) submitted to acute inflammation induced by carrageenin injection in the swim bladder. For a period of 45 days, 96 fish were divided in four treatments in triplicate, as follows: fish fed supplemented diet with essential oil of L. alba (4 mL kg-1 dry ration) injected with carrageenin; fish fed supplemented diet with cereal alcohol injected with carrageenin; fish fed unsupplemented diet with essential oil injected with carrageenin; fish fed unsupplemented diet and noninjected. Cortisol levels, erythrogram, leukogram and the inflammatory infiltrate were analyzed 6 h after inflammatory stimulus. Carrageenin-injected fish showed acute inflammatory reaction in the swim bladder characterized by higher infiltrate of neutrophils and monocytes. The circulating neutrophils number was significantly higher in fish fed L. alba when compared to other treatments. No difference in cortisol levels was found. For dose, time and administration form tested, supplementation with essential oil of L. alba did not present anti-inflammatory activity. On the other hand, influence of dietary supplementation was observed on the neutrophils number after induced aerocystitis highlighting its immunomodulatory characteristic.

Environmental changes affect fish homeostasis, turning them more susceptible to diseases. In Brazil, outbreaks of Streptococcus agalactiae infection have been reported in Nile tilapia when they are outside of their thermal comfort zone. This investigation evaluated mortality rate and which were the most infected organs at temperatures that naturally occurred in southern of Brazil. Forty Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were infected with S. agalactiae and distributed in four groups (n=10) and each group was exposed to a different temperature: G1: 24°C, G2: 26°C, G3: 28°C, and G4: 32°C. Fish were monitored for 10 days. In this period, fish that presented irreversible clinical signs were sacrificed and samples of brain, liver, and kidney were collected for bacteriological and molecular analysis. Signs compatible with a streptococcal infection were observed in all groups. Highest mortality rates occurred at 24°C and 32°C. The brain was the most affected organ with the highest percentage of isolation of S. agalactiae by both methods of diagnosis. The results suggest that, as in mammals, temperatures that are further away from the comfort zone influence fish homeostasis, increasing susceptibility to bacterial infections.

Female Oreochromis niloticus were exposed to 1/10 LC50 (0.21ppm) of butachlor herbicide for 6 weeks. Weekly specimens were taken for fecundity estimation. Also hormonal and enzymatic levels were determined in addition histopathological alterations in ovaries and liver were detected. Butachlor exerted drastic effects on absolute and relative fecundity. Sex hormones (testosterone "T" and estradiol "E2") dropped significantly. The high significantly decline in Total Ripen Egg Number was assisted by the coagulative necrosis and oocytic atrasia in ovaries. In addition, thrombus formation and hepatoadenocarcinoma were pronounced in the liver and resulted in the significant drop in ALT and total protein levels. So, it is recommended to apply the biological control of pests in substitution to herbicids in rice fields.

Killing activity of fresh Oreochromis niloticus serum was used as an indicator of the natural immunity. Serum killing activity was tested in temperature stressed fish exposed to 32 ±1°C to different Pseudomonas fluorescens strains. As a clinical estimate of natural immunity and disease resistance, experimental challenge with P. fluorescens strains was conducted. The results cleared that serum killing activity at 32±1°C was almost stopped where fish got infected after bacterial challenge. On the other hand, control fish group kept at 23± 1°C developed serum killing activity and resistance to the acquisition of infection after challenge. A correlation was found between resistance activities of P. fluorescens strains to serum killing and their corresponding courses of infection after bacterial challenge. However, the results of experimental challenge conducted at 32±1°C suggested that the immunocompromising state resulted from the stress of inability to withstand high water temperature is exclusively the critical aspect for the induction of infection.

A frequent species of microalgae in alkaline brackish, marine, and freshwater is Amphora coffeaeformis. It has a high concentration of physiologically active chemicals with antibacterial, anti-obesity, and antioxidant properties, as well as pigments involved in photosynthetic respiration, including as carotenoids and chlorophyll, that are effective in a range of medical applications. The current study sought to determine the effects of varying dosages of Amphora coffeaeformis nanoparticles (Am-NPs) incorporated diet on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), which were weighted at 15±0.5 g and 9±0.5 cm in length, on growth performance, immunological, digestive enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant activities, as well as histological examination of the intestinal villi and resistance to Aeromonas veronii (A. veronii). Four experimental groups (each with 80 fish) were run in duplicate. For four weeks, Amphora nanoparticles (Am NPs) at 2.5, 5 and 7.5 g/kg diet were added to the following three groups, while the first additive-free basal diet functioned as the control group. After the feeding trial, fish were exposed to an infection of pathogenic bacteria (A. veronii) with 9×108 CFU/ml. Supplementing with (Am-NPs) during the experiment period, specifically 7.5 g/kg diet (P˂0.05), significantly improved the following: immunological parameters such as liver Nitric oxide (NO) and plasma IgM and IgG; biochemical parameters such as liver tissue alanine aminotransaminase, aspartate aminotransaminase, plasma lipase, and amylase; and growth performance (weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion rate, and length gain rate). The villus height, the villus height to crypt depth ratio and and the number of goblet cells were significantly (P<0.05) increase in the fish fed Am Nps especially at 7.5 g/ kg diet when compared with control group which had the lowest values. Additionally the supplemented groups showed a substantial (P<0.05) decrease in the crypt depth of the villus when compared to control group. Our results showed that the groups treated with Am-NPs had a relative percent survival (RPS) of 65-85% against the infection of pathogenic Aeromonas veronii bacteria, compared to a control group that had an RPS of 0%. In conclusion, Amphora coffeaeformis offers several advantages, the chief among them being that it is a significant food source. Additionally, it has a range of physiologically active substances with antibacterial, immunological, antioxidant, and biochemical properties that are used in numerous medicinal applications.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a histologia e a histoquímica do intestino anterior de tilápia do Nilo alimentadas com dietas contendo farinha de peixe ou silagem de peixe como fonte de proteína de origem animal. A espessura da vilosidade intestinal dos peixes alimentados com silagem fermentada de resíduo de tilápia foi influenciada pelos teores proteicos, independente das proporções de proteína de origem animal das dietas. Observou-se que a variação da intensidade de secreção de glicoproteínas pelas células caliciformes está diretamente ligada com o tipo de dieta fornecida aos animais. O intestino médio de Oreochromis niloticus apresentou diferenças no padrão de secreção de muco glicoproteico neutro, glicoproteínas ácidas e glicoconjugados, dependendo da origem da proteína e da porcentagem utilizada na dieta, demonstrando que esta espécie pode adaptar seu sistema de secreção para a proteção do aparelho digestório durante a absorção de diferentes fontes proteicas. | This work was carried out to evaluate the action of the fermented fish silage and fish meal in the histochemical of the middle intestine of O. niloticus. A great epithelium intestinal was present in fishes fed with fish silage, independent of the animal origin protein proportions in diets. It was observed that the variation of the goblet cells secretion glicoproteic intensity is linked directly to the diet supplied to animals. The middle intestine of Oreochromis niloticus showed differences in the neutral mucus glicoproteic, acid glicoproteic and glicoconjugated secretion pattern, depending on the protein origin and the percentage used in the diet, demonstrating that this species can adapt its secretion system for the protection of the digesting apparatus during the absorption of different protein sources.

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar os efeitos de três diferentes granulometrias de rações fareladas (0,25, 0,35 e 0,50 mm) sobre o ganho de peso, crescimento, sobrevivência e proporção sexual para larvas de tilápia-do-Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus) aos 30, 60 e 90 dias de idade. Nos primeiros 30 dias de vida, as larvas foram revertidas com rações contendo hormônio 17 α-metiltestosterona na dosagem de 60 mg/kg de ração, respeitando-se as diferentes granulometrias e após este período, foram medidas, pesadas e contadas para cálculo da taxa de sobrevivência. Para as variáveis biométricas de peso e comprimento total, foi utilizado o delineamento inteiramente casualizado (DIC), em parcelas subdivididas, com três tratamentos e três repetições, considerando-se parcelas as três granulometrias de ração e subparcelas as três idades. Ao término do estudo, os peixes alimentados com as granulometrias 0,35 e 0,25 mm, obtiveram os melhores resultados para o ganho de peso (14,42 g e 13,36 g) e comprimento total (83,13 mm e 82,72 mm), não diferindo estatisticamente e as rações com diâmetros de grão 0,50 e 0,35 mm resultaram em 96,66% e 93,33% de machos, respectivamente, após análise histológica das gônadas, sem diferenças estatísticas entre os tratamentos. | The aim of this work was to evaluate the effects of three different diameters of crumble diets (0.25, 0.35 and 0.50 mm) on weight gain, growing, survival and sexual proportion to Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) larvae with 30, 60 and 90 days of age. In the first 30 days of age larvae were submitted to sex reversion with diets containing the hormone 17 &#945;-methyltestosterone in a dosage of 60mg/kg of ration, respecting the different diameters and after this period, larvae were measured, weighed and counted for calculation of survival taxes. For the biometrical parameters as weight and total length a completely randomized design was used in subdivided installments with three treatments and three repetitions, considering installments the three diameters of diet and the sub installments, the three ages. In the end of this study, fish fed with diets of grain diameters 0.35 and 0.25 mm obtained the best results for weight gain (14.42 g and 13.36 g) and total length (83.13 mm and 82.72 mm), although these results were not statistically significant, and diets with grain diameters 0.50 and 0.35 mm resulted in 96,66 % and 93,33% of males, respectively, after histological analysis of gonads, without statistics differences between the treatments.

Morphologicaly, seven types of cells were identified in the blood of Oreochromis niloticus: erythrocytes, thrombocytes, neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes and monocytes. Glycogen was present not only in the cytoplasm of neutrophils and thrombocytes but also in some lymphocytes and monocytes. The positive reaction for myeloperoxidase and Sudan black was observed in neutrophils and eosinophils. The bromphenol blue method was strongly positive for erythrocytes and eosinophils. | Morfologicamente foram identificados no sangue de Oreochromis niloticus sete tipos de células: eritrócitos, trombócitos, neutrófilos, eosinófilos, basófilos, linfócitos e monócitos. Em relação aos resultados citoquímicos foi contastada a presença de glicogênio em neutrófilos, trombócitos e em alguns linfócitos e monócitos. Os grânulos citoplasmáticos de neutrófilos e eosinófilos mostraram positividade para mieloperoxidade e Sudan black. O azul de bromofenol foi totalmente positivo em eritrócitos e eosinófilos.