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Dietary garlic essential oil on development parameters of severum post-larvae

Óleo essencial de alho sobre os parâmetros de desenvolvimento de pós-larvas de acará severo

ABSTRACT

The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of garlic essential oil (GEO) on the growth performance and morphometric variables of severum (Heros severus) post-larvae. A growth trial was performed using 150 severum post-larvae (1.6 ± 0.03 mg and 5.58 ± 0.1 mm), distributed in fifteen 1-L aquaria, with constant aeration. The fish were essayed in a completely randomized design with five treatments, using diets containing graded levels of GEO (0.00, 0.05, 0.50, 1.00 and 1.50 g kg-1) and three replicates. The diets were offered four times a day, until apparent satiation, for 30 days. At the end of the experiment, the fish were counted, weighed and measured, to evaluate growth performance and morphometric variables. Increased diet levels of GEO resulted in a linear reduction in growth performance parameters, except for the survival rate, weight and length uniformity of the batch, and morphometric variables which did not present significant differences. Elevated concentrations of dietary GEO may be detrimental to larvae and post-larvae of fish, which could be more sensitive to the potential damage that high concentrations of this essential oil may cause. Therefore, the inclusion of GEO in levels above 0.05 g kg-1 in diets for severum post-larvae is not recommended.

Keywords:
Allium sativum; amazonian fish; larval rearing; plant extracts

RESUMO

O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a influência do óleo essencial de alho (OEA) sobre o desempenho produtivo e as variáveis morfométricas de pós-larvas de acará severo (Heros severus). Foi realizado ensaio de crescimento com 150 pós-larvas severas (1,6 ± 0,03 mg e 5,58 ± 0,1 mm), distribuídas em quinze aquários de 1 L, com aeração constante. Os peixes foram distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com cinco tratamentos, dietas contendo diferentes níveis de OEA (0,00; 0,05; 0,50; 1,00 e 1,50 g kg-1) e três repetições. As dietas foram oferecidas quatro vezes ao dia, até saciedade aparente, por 30 dias. Ao final do experimento, os peixes foram contados, pesados e medidos, para avaliação do desempenho produtivo e das variáveis morfométricas. O aumento dos níveis de OEA na dieta resultou em redução linear nos parâmetros de desempenho produtivo, com exceção da taxa de sobrevivência e uniformidade de peso e comprimento do lote, que não apresentaram diferenças significativas, assim como as variáveis morfométricas. Concentrações elevadas de OEA na dieta podem ser prejudiciais para larvas e pós-larvas de peixes, que podem ser mais sensíveis ao dano potencial que altas concentrações deste óleo essencial podem causar. Portanto, a inclusão de OEA em níveis acima de 0,05 g kg-1 em dietas para pós-larvas de acará severo não é recomendada.

Palavras-chave:
Allium sativum; extratos vegetais; larvicultura; peixe amazônico

INTRODUCTION

The severum (Heros severus) is among the Amazonian fish that have potential as an ornamental species. It stands out for its bright yellowish color, good adaptation to fish tank environments and easily spawning under captivity (Favero et al., 2010FAVERO, J.M.D.; POMPEU, P.D.S.; PRADO-VALLADARES, A.C. Biologia reprodutiva de Heros efasciatus Heckel, 1840 (Pisces, Cichlidae) na Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável Amanã-AM, visando seu manejo sustentável. Acta Amazonica, v.40, n.2, p.373-380, 2010.; Alishahi et al., 2014ALISHAHI, M.; KARAMIFAR, M.; MESBAH, M.; ZAREI, M. Hemato-immunological responses of Heros severus fed diets supplemented with different levels of Dunaliella salina. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, v.40, n.1, p.57-65, 2014.). In natural occurrence sites, severum feeds on small invertebrates and plant material (Alishahi et al., 2014ALISHAHI, M.; KARAMIFAR, M.; MESBAH, M.; ZAREI, M. Hemato-immunological responses of Heros severus fed diets supplemented with different levels of Dunaliella salina. Fish Physiology and Biochemistry, v.40, n.1, p.57-65, 2014.), whereas in captivity it can readily accept industrialized diet.

The post-larvae stage is a critical period in early fish farming, in which most of the fish’s biological system is not entirely developed, hence being sensitive to many types of stressors. Thus, to improve general health status, different products are often used in aquaculture as prophylactic, therapeutic or even as growth promoters (Rico et al., 2013RICO, A.; PHU, T.M.; SATAPORNVANIT, K.; MIN, J.; SHAHABUDDIN, A.M.; HENRIKSSON, P.J.; MURRAY, F.J.; LITTLE, D.C.; DALSGAARD, A.; VAN DEN BRINK, P.J. Use of veterinary medicines, feed additives and probiotics in four major internationally traded aquaculture species farmed in Asia. Aquaculture, v.412, n.1, p.231-243, 2013). On the other hand, the use of synthetic products may cause numerous side effects in the environment and human health, and in some cases, with limited efficacy (Gabor et al., 2010GABOR, E.F.; ŞARA, A.; BARBU, A. The effects of some phytoadditives on growth, health and meat quality on different species of fish. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, v.43, n.1, p.61-65, 2010.).

In search for alternatives, natural products can possibly drive synthetic products and growth promoters out of use (Gabor et al., 2010GABOR, E.F.; ŞARA, A.; BARBU, A. The effects of some phytoadditives on growth, health and meat quality on different species of fish. Journal of Animal Science and Biotechnology, v.43, n.1, p.61-65, 2010.). Several ingredients with proven efficacy for nutritional, growth promotion and immunostimulation for aquatic organisms (Bricknell and Dalmo, 2005BRICKNELL, I.; DALMO, R.A. The use of immunostimulants in fish larval aquaculture. Fish and Shellfish Immunology, v.19, n.5, p.457-472, 2005.) are characterized as functional ingredients (Roberfroid, 2002ROBERFROID, M. Functional food concept and its application to prebiotics. Digestive and Liver Disease. v.34, n.2, p.105-10, 2002.). Thus, the use of those feedstuff for fish diets can become a good strategy to minimize stress and enhance growth performance (Xue et al., 2008XUE, J.; XU, Y.; JIN, L.; LIU, G.; SUN, Y.; LI, S.; ZHANG, J. Effects of traditional Chinese medicine on immune responses in abalone, Haliotis discus hannai Ino. Fish and Shellfish Immunology, v.24, n.6, p.752-758, 2008.; Abdel-Khalil and Khalil, 2014ABDEL-KHALIL, H.M.R.; KHALIL, R.H. Evaluation of two phytobiotics, Spirulina platensis and Origanumn valgare extract on growth, serum antioxidant activities and resistance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to pathogenic Vibrio alginolyticus. International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies, v.1, p.250-255, 2014.; Reverter et al., 2014REVERTER, M.; BONTEMPS, N.; LECCHINI, D.; BANAIGS, B.; SASAL, P. Use of plant extracts in fish aquaculture as an alternative to chemotherapy: Current status and future perspectives. Aquaculture, v.433, n.20, p.50-61, 2014.). In this context, essential oils (EOs) which are natural products formed by a mixture (Baser et al., 2007BASER, K.H.C.; DEMIRCI, F. Chemistry of Essential Oils. In: Berger, R.G. (Ed), Flavours and Fragrances: Chemistry, Bioprocessing and Sustainability. Springer, New York, pp. 43-86, 2007.) of hydrophobic liquids containing volatile aromatic compounds from plants (Mathe, 2009MÁTHÉ, A.K.O.S. Essential oils-biochemistry, production and utilisation. Phytogenics in Animal Nutrition. Natural Concepts to Optimize Gut Health and Performance, v.1, p.1-18, 2009.), emerge as good functional ingredients for fish diets. Among the EOs, garlic essential oil (GEO) has caught the attention of the aquaculture sector.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is an herb available throughout the world. Previous studies on dietary garlic for fish have shown improved growth, survival, and protection against pathogenic organisms (Lee and Gao, 2012LEE, J.Y.; GAO, Y. Review of the application of garlic, Allium sativum, in aquaculture. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, v.43, n.4, p.447-458, 2012.; Lee et al., 2012LEE, D.H.; RA, C.S.; SONG, Y.H.; SUNG, K.I.; KIM, J.D. Effects of dietary garlic extract on growth, feed utilization and whole body composition of juvenile starlet sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus). Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, v.25, n.4, p.577-583, 2012.; Talpur and Ikhwanuddin, 2012TALPUR, A.D.; IKHWANUDDIN, M. Dietary effects of garlic (Allium sativum) on haemato-immunological parameters, survival, growth and disease resistance against Vibrio harveyi infection in Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer). Aquaculture, v.364-365, n.5, p.6-12, 2012.). Garlic has been studied not only in the form of an EO, but also as different extracts, such as aqueous and powder (Shin and Kim, 2004SHIN, S.H.; KIM, M.K. Effect of dried powders or ethanol extracts of garlic flesh and peel on lipid metabolism and antithrombogenic capacity in 16-month-old rats. The Journal of Nutrition Health and Aging, v.37, n.7, p.515-524, 2004.), and their benefits are ascribed to a variety of organosulfur compounds within these extracts, especially the allicin (Augusti et al., 1974AUGUSTI, K.T.; MATHEW, P.T. Lipid lowering effect of allicin (diallyldisulphide-oxide) on long term feeding to normal rats. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, v.30, p.468-470, 1974.).

Plant-derived products, as garlic essential oil, are promising sources of bioactive molecules, less costly and readily available (Bulfon et al., 2015BULFON, C.; VOLPATTI, D.; GALEOTTI, M. Current research on the use of plant‐derived products in farmed fish. Aquaculture Research, v.46, n.3, p.513-551, 2015.). However, negative effects on survival and growth of aquatic animals fed with dietary garlic have also been reported (Huang et al., 2001HUANG, X.G.; HE, J.H.; ZUO, J.J. Primary research on the application effects of allicin on aquaculture of rice field eel Monopterus albus. Inland Fisheries, p.9-27, 2001.; Xiang and Liu, 2002XIANG, X.; LIU, C.Z. Effect of allicin on growth of Colossoma brachypomum. Journal of Fish Science and Technology, v.29, p.222-225, 2002.). Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the development of the Amazonian ornamental fish severum post-larva fed dietary garlic essential oil.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The experiment was approved by the Ethics Committee on the Use of Animals of the Federal University of Pará, CEUA/UFPA (Protocol no 7656100517) and conducted at the Laboratory of Ornamental Fish of the Federal University of Pará, Bragança - PA.

To perform the experiment, a total of 150 7-day-old severum post-larvae, with mean body weight and standard length of 1.60 ± 0.03 mg and 5.58 ± 0.19 mm, respectively, were distributed in fifteen 1-L aquariums, at a density of 10 post-larvae L-1. The post-larvae were hatched in the Laboratory of Ornamental Fish, under controlled environmental conditions. All aquariums were maintained with constant aeration at a photoperiod adjusted to 12h Light: 12h Dark, using fluorescent lamps (60W). The aquariums were siphoned once a day to remove uneaten food and faeces, then replenished with fresh water.

A completely randomized design with five treatments and three replicates was used. A basal diet was formulated to contain 40% crude protein and 4500 kcal kg-1 gross energy (Table 1) and separated into five parts for the inclusion of the test ingredient. The garlic essential oil (GEO) was acquired from a commercial establishment (Biotae®, Tatuí, SP, Brazil) and kept refrigerated (4º C) until use. Thereafter, the GEO was included mixed with soybean oil in the diet at levels of 0.00, 0.05, 0.50, 1.00 and 1.50 g kg-1. Then, the diets were moistened, with 25% water at 50ºC, manually mixed and pelleted in an electric meat grinder (G.PANIZ, MCR-22, São Paulo, SP, Brazil), dried in a forced air oven (QUIMIS, São Paulo, SP, Brazil) at 35°C for 24h, and stored in a refrigerator, at 4ºC. Before the feeding trial, all diets were crushed in a mill and manually sieved, so that granulometry of the pellets could adequately fit into the post-larvae mouth. Post-larvae were fed to apparent satiation, moment at which animals showed no interest in the diet, four times daily, at 08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 17:00h, for a period of 30 days.

Table 1
Formulations and proximate compositions of the experimental diets

During the experimental period, water quality parameters such as temperature (26.86 ± 0.3 ºC) and dissolved oxygen (6.98 ± 0.7 mg L-1) were monitored daily, whereas the pH (6.94 ± 0.3) and total ammonium concentration (0.05 ± 0.03 mg L-1) was monitored every two days. Temperature and dissolved oxygen were measured with a thermometer and a digital oximeter (Lutron DO -5510, São Paulo, SP, Brazil), total ammonia and pH were measured with a multi-parameter device (HI 3512, Hanna Instruments, Barueri, SP, Brazil).

At the end of the feeding trial all fish were counted, weighed on a precision scale (AG200 Gehaka® 0.0001 g, São Paulo, SP, Brazil) and photographed using a digital camera (FinePIX, S2800HD, Japan). Growth performance was evaluated for final weight, weight gain (final weight - initial weight), final length, length gain (final length - initial length), specific growth rate ((ln final weight - ln initial weight) days-1) x 100), weight and length uniformity of the batch and survival rate. To determine the batch uniformity, the following equation by Furuya et al. (1998FURUYA, W.M.; SOUZA, S.R.; FURUYA, V.R.B.; HAYASHI, C.; RIBEIRO, R.P. Dietas peletizada e extrusada para machos revertidos de tilapia do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus) na fase de terminação. Ciência Rural, v.28, n.3, p.483-487, 1998.) was used: U = (N ± 20%)/Nt) X 100, where: U = the uniformity of the batch, i.e. variation in weight or total length (%); Nt = the total number of fish in each experimental unit; and N ± 20% = the number of animals with weight or total length ± 20% of the mean for each experimental unit. The fish photographs were analyzed using an image analysis package (ImagePro-Plus®), for determination of the following length and morphometric variables: standard length, head length, trunk length, post-anal length, head height, body height and eye diameter.

For the verification of normality and homogeneity of variances, data were submitted to Lilliefors and Bartlett’s tests, respectively. After assumptions were satisfied, a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at 5% significance was performed. When differences were observed a regression analysis, between dietary GEO level and growth parameters was used. To adjust the equations, the values of each experimental unit were used. To choose the most suitable regression model, the significance of the regression coefficients, the magnitude of the coefficients of determination and the biological response of each variable were considered. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

RESULTS

Dietary GEO affected (P < 0.05) the final weight, weight gain, final length, length gain and specific growth rate of severum post-larvae. The weight and length uniformity of the batch and the survival rate were the only parameters of growth performance that were not influenced (P > 0.05) by the levels of GEO in the diets (Table 2).

Table 2
Growth performance of severum (Heros severus) post-larvae fed increasing levels of dietary garlic essential oil (GEO)

According to the linear regression analysis, increased dietary GEO levels led to decreased final weight, weight gain, final length, length gain and specific growth rate (Figure 1).

Figure 1
Dietary garlic essential oil for H. severus post-larvae, based on linear regression analysis of final weight (A), weight gain (B), final length (C), length gain (D) and specific growth rate (E).

Dietary GEO did not influence (P > 0.05) the morphometric variables measured. However, numerically, these variables followed the same trend as those observed for growth performance. The higher the level of GEO, the lower the values of standard length, head length, trunk length, post-anal length, head height, body height and eye diameter were (Table 3). On the other hand, a numerical increase in all parameters evaluated was observed in fish receiving the lowest dose of GEO (0.05 g kg-1).

Table 3
Morphometric variables of severum (Heros severus) post-larvae fed increasing levels of dietary garlic essential oil (GEO)

DISCUSSION

Garlic extracts, which are a rich source of allicin, have shown a wide spectrum of antibacterial, antiviral, antiprotozoal and antifungal properties (Guo et al., 2012GUO, J.J.; KUO, C.M.; CHUANG, Y.C.; HONG, J.W.; CHOU, R.L.; CHEN, T.I. The effects of garlic-supplemented diets on antibacterial activity against Streptococcus iniae and on growth in orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. Aquaculture, v.364, n.5, p.33-38, 2012.), with an associated potential to improve diets digestibility and fish growth performance (Lee and Gao, 2012LEE, J.Y.; GAO, Y. Review of the application of garlic, Allium sativum, in aquaculture. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society, v.43, n.4, p.447-458, 2012.). However, in the present study, according to the linear regression analysis, increased dietary GEO levels led to impaired development of severum post-larvae.

Different results were found by Jegede (2012JEGEDE, T. Effect of garlic (Allium sativum) on growth, nutrient utilization, resistance and survival of Tilapia zillii (Gervais 1852) fingerlings. Journal of Agricultural Science, v.4, n.2, p.269-274, 2012.), who observed the highest specific growth rate and feed efficiency, in red belly tilapia (Tilapia zillii) fingerlings fed 20 g kg-1 of dietary garlic powder. Similarly, Lee et al. (2014LEE, D.H.; LIM, S.R.; HAN, J.J.; LEE, S.W.; RA, C.S.; KIM, J.D. Effects of dietary garlic powder on growth, feed utilization and whole body composition changes in fingerling sterlet sturgeon, Acipenser ruthenus. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences, v.27, n.9, p.1303-1310, 2014.) reported significantly increased growth performance in fingerling sterlet sturgeon (Acipenser ruthenus) supplemented with 30 g kg-1 of dietary garlic powder. On the other hand, orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides) fed only 0.13 g kg-1 of dietary aqueous garlic extract showed an increment in weight gain and feed efficiency, but when supplemented with 0.40 g kg-1, the same parameters were lower (Guo et al. 2012GUO, J.J.; KUO, C.M.; CHUANG, Y.C.; HONG, J.W.; CHOU, R.L.; CHEN, T.I. The effects of garlic-supplemented diets on antibacterial activity against Streptococcus iniae and on growth in orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. Aquaculture, v.364, n.5, p.33-38, 2012.).

Many reports have documented the effect of garlic or allicin as growth promoters. Khalil et al. (2001KHALIL, R.H.; NADIA, B.M.; SOLIMAN, M.K. Effects of Biogen and Levamisol HCl on the immune response of cultured Oreochromis niloticus to Aeromonas hydrophila vaccine. Beni-Suef Veterinary Medicine Journal, v.11, p.381-392, 2001.) observed that allicin could improve digestion by enhancing the performance of the intestinal flora, thereby improving the utilization of energy and growth. However, most research efforts have been directed to the assessment of fresh garlic powder and just a few ones evaluating dietary GEO for fish fingerlings and juvenile (Aly and Mohamed, 2010ALY, S.M.; MOHAMED, M.F. Echinacea purpureaandAllium sativumas immunostimulants in fish culture using Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition, v. 94, p. 31-39, 2010.; Woo et al., 2010WOO, S.H.; LEE, J.H.; KIM, Y.K.; CHO, M.Y.; JUNG, S.H.; KIM, J.W.; PARK, S.I. Effects of garlic Allium sativum extract immersion on the immune responses of olive flounder Paralichthys olivaceusprechallenged with pathogenic bacteria. The Japanese Society of Fish Pathology, v. 23, p.199-209, 2010.; Diab et al., 2002DIAB, A.S.; EL-NAGAR, G.O.Y.M.; ABD-EI-HADY, Y.M. Evaluation of Nigella sativa L. (black seeds; baraka), Allium sativum (garlic) and Biogen as feed additives on growth performance and immunostimulants of O. niloticus fingerlings. Suez Canal Veterinary Medicine Journal, v.2, p.745-775, 2002.).

Garlic powder has a lower concentration of allicin when compared to other garlic extracts, such as essential oils or aqueous extract (Guo et al., 2012GUO, J.J.; KUO, C.M.; CHUANG, Y.C.; HONG, J.W.; CHOU, R.L.; CHEN, T.I. The effects of garlic-supplemented diets on antibacterial activity against Streptococcus iniae and on growth in orange-spotted grouper, Epinephelus coioides. Aquaculture, v.364, n.5, p.33-38, 2012.), and it can be used in higher concentrations in fish diets. Thus, the effects of garlic depend on its presentation and concentration, fish species and development stage. Despite the wide margin of safety in the use of plant extracts, there are only a few reports on their negative impacts to fish farming (Syahidah et al., 2015SYAHIDAH, A.; SAAD, C.R.; DAUD, H.M.; ABDELHADI, Y.M. Status and potential of herbal applications in aquaculture: A review. Iranian Journal of Fisheries Sciences, v.14, n.1, p.27-44, 2015.). Juvenile hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus x Oreochromis aureus) fed 0.5 g kg-1 dietary garlic powder decreased weight gain by 20% compared to fish fed control diet, i.e. without the addition of garlic (Ndong and Fall, 2011NDONG, D.; FALL, J. The effect of garlic (Allium sativum) on growth and immune responses of hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus x Oreochromis aureus). Journal of Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology Research, v.3, n.1, p.1-9, 2011.). Rice field eel (Monopterus albus) fed 800 mg kg-1 of composed allicin died after three days of feeding (Huang et al., 2001HUANG, X.G.; HE, J.H.; ZUO, J.J. Primary research on the application effects of allicin on aquaculture of rice field eel Monopterus albus. Inland Fisheries, p.9-27, 2001.) and juvenile red bellied pacu (Colossoma barchypomum), also receiving a diet containing composed allicin, had a reduction in growth rate (Xiang and Liu, 2002XIANG, X.; LIU, C.Z. Effect of allicin on growth of Colossoma brachypomum. Journal of Fish Science and Technology, v.29, p.222-225, 2002.).

The most toxic components of allicin degradation are diallyl disulfide and diallyl trisulfide (Zhao et al., 2013ZHAO, N.N.; ZHANG, H.; ZHANG, X.C.; LUAN, X.B.; ZHOU, C.; LIU, Q.Z.; SHI, W.P.; LIU, Z.L. Evaluation of acute toxicity of essential oil of garlic (Allium sativum) and its selected major constituent compounds against overwintering Cacopsylla chinensis (Hemiptera: Psyllidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, v.106, n.3, p.1349-1354, 2013.; Marengoni et al., 2017MARENGONI, N.G.; PEREIRA, L.A.; WEISS, L.A.; BESEN, M.A.; BOMBARDELLI, R.A. Garlic essential oil increases rates of eggs fertilization and hatching of Rhamdia quelen larvae in an artificial incubation system. Ciência Rural, v.47, n.6, p.1-4, 2017.). Moreover, degradation products of organosulfur compounds can be toxic when high concentrations thereof reach the intestines, interfering with normal metabolism, suppressing mitosis, leading to slow growth and even fish death (Shakya and Labh, 2014SHAKYA, R.N.; LABH, S.N. Medicinal uses of garlic (Allium sativum) improves fish health and acts as an immunostimulant in aquaculture. European Journal of Biotechnology and Bioscience, v.2, n.4, p.44-47, 2014.). For fish post-larvae, which do not have a fully formed digestive tract yet (Portella and Dabrowski, 2008PORTELLA, M.C.; DABROWSKI, K. Diets, physiology, biochemistry and digestive tract development of freshwater fish larvae. In: Cyrino, J.E.P., Bureau, D.P., Kapoor, B.G. (Eds.), Feeding and digestive functions of fishes. Science Publishers, Enfield, pp. 227-279, 2008.), these compounds can be even more harmful, as suggested by the present study.

Normally, fingerlings support higher concentrations of allicin than the post-larvae. Larvae and post-larvae are highly sensitive organisms to stress, mainly because of their undeveloped immune systems (Mohamed et al., 2012MOHAMED, A.A.; EL-GALIL, A.; ABOELHADID, S.M. Trials for the control of trichodinosis and gyrodactylosis in hatchery reared Oreochromis niloticus fries by using garlic. Veterinary Parasitology, v.185, n.2, p.57-63, 2012.). Many authors have attempted to examine the impacts of various essential oils and other plant derivatives on fish, but information regarding the effects of these products during the larval stage, especially the effects of garlic extracts on the growth performance of the larvae is scarce (Hassaan and Soltan, 2016HASSAN, M.S.; SOLTAN, M. Evaluation of Essential Oil of Fennel and Garlic Separately or Combined with Bacillus licheniformis on the Growth, Feeding Behaviour, Hematobiochemical Indices of Oreochromis niloticus. Journal of Aquaculture Research and Development, v.7, n.4, p.422-429, 2016.).

The inclusion of 1.0 ml kg-1 GEO in the diet of Nile tilapia larvae, with an initial weight of 1.88 ± 0.12 g, resulted in increased growth and improvement in haematological and biochemical parameters (Hassaan and Soltan, 2016HASSAN, M.S.; SOLTAN, M. Evaluation of Essential Oil of Fennel and Garlic Separately or Combined with Bacillus licheniformis on the Growth, Feeding Behaviour, Hematobiochemical Indices of Oreochromis niloticus. Journal of Aquaculture Research and Development, v.7, n.4, p.422-429, 2016.). Nile tilapia larvae with initial weight of 20 mg, fed 40 g kg-1 of dietary garlic powder, presented a higher survival rate than larvae fed without the addition of garlic, but had no improvement in weight gain (Aly et al., 2010ALY, S.M.; NAGGAR, G.O.E.; MOHAMED, M.F.; MOHAMED, F.M.; MOHAMED, W.E. Effect of Garlic, Echinacea, Organic Green and Vet-Yeast on Survival, Weight Gain, and Bacterial Challenge of Overwintered Nile Tilapia Fry (Orechromis niloticus). Journal of Applied Aquaculture, v.22, n.3, p.210-215, 2010.). For Caspian roach (Rutilus rutilus) larvae weighing 1.0 ± 0.07 g, the supply of 15 g kg-1 dietary garlic powder impaired weight gain and specific growth rate, compared to larvae that received diets containing 5 and 10 g kg-1 garlic (Ghahderijani et al., 2016GHAHDEIJANI, M.S.; HAJIMORADLOO, A.; GHORBANI, R.; ROOHI, Z. The effects of garlic-supplemented diets on skin mucosal immune responses, stress resistance and growth performance of the Caspian roach (Rutilus rutilus) fry. Fish and Shellfish Immunology, v.49, p.79-83, 2016.). The severum post-larvae used in the present study had an initial weight of 1.6 ± 0.03 mg and received the diets supplemented with GEO during the first feeding. Thus, the results of the present study suggest that dietary GEO may not be a good strategy for early feeding fish and larviculture improvement.

Studies on the efficacy of garlic to treat fish parasites and as immunostimulants are commonplace in literature. Schelkle et al. (2013SCHELKLE, B.; SNELLGROVE, D.; CABLE, J. In vitro and in vivo efficacy of garlic compounds against Gyrodactylus turnbulli infecting the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Veterinary Parasitology, v.198, n.1-2, p.96-101, 2013.) suggest that parasites are directly affected by garlic, rather than indirectly via enhanced host immune function. Furthermore, the immunostimulating properties of garlic may disappear when high concentrations of garlic are provided (Ndong and Fall, 2011NDONG, D.; FALL, J. The effect of garlic (Allium sativum) on growth and immune responses of hybrid tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus x Oreochromis aureus). Journal of Clinical Immunology and Immunopathology Research, v.3, n.1, p.1-9, 2011.; Ghahderijani et al., 2016GHAHDEIJANI, M.S.; HAJIMORADLOO, A.; GHORBANI, R.; ROOHI, Z. The effects of garlic-supplemented diets on skin mucosal immune responses, stress resistance and growth performance of the Caspian roach (Rutilus rutilus) fry. Fish and Shellfish Immunology, v.49, p.79-83, 2016.). Nya et al. (2010NYA, E.J.; DAWOOD, Z.; AUSTIN, B. The garlic component, allicin, prevents disease caused by Aeromonas hydrophila in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum). Journal of Fish Diseases, v.33, n.4, p.293-970, 2010.) reported that the action mechanism of allicin might well include the inhibition of cysteine protease, the scavenging and trapping of free radicals and the inhibition of thiol-containing protein in the cells of pathogens. As such, the allicin molecule can also negatively impact fish health and development, especially eggs and young forms.

Morphological observation has been recognized as a valuable tool to detect and describe body abnormalities in early life stages of fish (Koumoundouros et al. 1997KOUMOUNDOUROS, G.; ORAN, G.; DIVANACH, P.; STEFANAKIS, S.; KENTOURI, M. The opercular complex deformity in intensive gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.) larviculture. Moment of apparition and description. Aquaculture, v.156, p.165-177, 1997.; Martinez-Montano et al. 2016MARTÍNEZ‐MONTAÑO, E.; GONZÁLEZ‐ÁLVAREZ, K.; LAZO, J.P.; AUDELO‐NARANJO, J.M.; VÉLEZ‐MEDEL, A. Morphological development and allometric growth of yellowtail kingfish Seriola lalandi V. larvae under culture conditions. Aquaculture Research, v.47, p.1277-1287, 2016.). Thus, information on the morphological development of young fish is necessary to improve larvae rearing (Gisbert et al. 2002GISBERT, E.; MERINO, G.; MUGUET, J.B.; BUSH, D.; PIEDRAHITA, R.H.; CONKLIN, D.E. Morphological development and allometric growth patterns in hatchery-reared California halibut larvae. Journal of Fish Biology, v.61, p.1217-1229, 2002.). Furthermore, fish morphometry can be affected by feed management and fish diet (Wimberger 1992WIMBERGER, P.H. Plasticity of fish body shape. The effects of diet, development, family and age in two species of Geophagus (Pisces: Cichlidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, v.45, p.197-218, 1992.). Mainly for ornamental fish species, which are marketed per unit, the influence of diet on fish morphometry is an important aspect to be evaluated (Campelo et al., 2020CAMPELO, D.A.V.; DOS REIS E.R.; DIAS, B.C.B.; JUNIOR, A.D.S.P.; DOS SANTOS, L.D.; BRABO, M.F.; DE MOURA, L.B.; VERAS, G.C. Use of different feeds in larviculture of the amazon ornamental fish Severum. Brazilian Journal of Development, v.6, n.3, p.14035-14049, 2020.). In the present study, although dietary GEO reduced the productive performance of severum post-larvae, no morphological abnormality was detected.

High concentration and prolonged treatment with garlic may impair fish health, which underscores the importance of determining appropriate dosage requirements and the methods of application (Schelkle et al., 2010SCHELKLE, B.; DOETJES, R.; CABLE, J. The salt myth revealed: treatment of gyrodactylid infections on ornamental guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Aquaculture, v.311, p.1-4, p.74-79, 2010.) for each species at each stage of life. Even minor concentration changes in dietary garlic must be monitored carefully and the professional who currently uses garlic, should be made aware of the potential harm to fish performance when using high concentrations of garlic (Schelkle et al., 2013SCHELKLE, B.; SNELLGROVE, D.; CABLE, J. In vitro and in vivo efficacy of garlic compounds against Gyrodactylus turnbulli infecting the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Veterinary Parasitology, v.198, n.1-2, p.96-101, 2013.).

The use of diets supplemented with increasing levels of garlic essential oil was detrimental to the development of severum post-larvae. Nevertheless, further evaluation of adding dietary GEO for severum post-larvae in levels close to 0.05 g kg-1 is recommended, for it could be advantageous when administered in lower concentrations.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    28 Sept 2020
  • Date of issue
    2020

History

  • Received
    07 Mar 2020
  • Accepted
    20 Aug 2020
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