Vet Med - Czech, 2014, 59(9):440-446 | DOI: 10.17221/7684-VETMED

Effect of β-Glucan on cold-stress resistance of striped catfish, Pangasianodon hypophthalmus (Sauvage, 1878)Original Paper

S. Soltanian¹, M.N. Adloo², M. Hafeziyeh³, N. Ghadimi²

¹ School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

² Islamic Azad University, Bandar Abbas, Iran

³ Iranian Fisheries Research Organization, Tehran, Iran

These experiments were performed to determine the effects of dietary β-glucan on stress responses of striped catfish (Pangasianodon hypophthalmus). Fish were fed for nine weeks with a diet containing 0 (control), 0.5% (G1), 1% (G2) and 2% (G3 group) β-glucan. Subsequently, stress responses were studied by evaluating serum cortisol and glucose levels following a constant 24 h cold shock (from 28 °C to 15 °C). Serum cortisol and glucose concentrations were measured after cold treatments of varying durations (prior to, and after one, 12 and 24 h of cold shock stress, respectively). No differences in serum cortisol and glucose levels were found between control and β-glucan-treated fish. However, the mortality rate was significantly lowered in cold challenged fish fed appropriate doses of β-glucan (in G1 and G2 vs. G3 and control group). The results of the present study demonstrate that a proper administrationβ--glucan in the diet could ameliorate the detrimental effects of a severe stress resulting in a reduction in fish mortality.

Keywords: β-glucan; Pangasianodon hypophthalmus; physiological response

Published: September 30, 2014  Show citation