| Abstrakt: |
This study investigates the impact of different levels of hydroalcoholic extract of the marine red alga (Hypnea cornua) on growth performance, hematological indices, antioxidant capacity, immune response, and expression of growth-related genes in beluga sturgeon (Huso huso). A total of 120 juvenile beluga sturgeon (425.62 ± 26.32 g) were randomly divided into four treatments with three replicates and reared for 8 weeks. The fish were fed diets incorporating varying amounts of the algal extract (0 [control group], 5, 10, and 20 g kg-1). The inclusion of the dietary algal extract significantly improved final weight, weight gain, and specific growth rate (P < 0.05), while reducing the feed conversion ratio. The red blood cell count, hematocrit level, total protein level, and lysozyme activity were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the fish group treated with 10 g algal extract kg-1 compared to the control and other treatments. The highest superoxide dismutase activity was observed in fish fed a diet with 10 g algal extract kg-1. The serum catalase activity was significantly higher in all fish treated with algal extract compared to those fed with the control diet (P < 0.05). The serum glutathione activity was markedly higher in the fish fed diets containing 10 and 20 g kg-1 compared to those fed with the control diet (P < 0.05). The malondialdehyde level was lower in the treated fish compared to those fed with the control diet (P < 0.05). The highest mRNA levels of growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor 1 were observed in the fish fed a diet containing 10 g algal extract kg-1 (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that an optimal dietary inclusion level of 11.22 g kg-1 of the marine red algal extract is recommended for improving growth performance, feed utilization, and overall well-being of beluga sturgeon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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