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Large quantities of heavy metals come from anthropogenic sources, including coal combustion, furthermore, these heavy metals can cause oxidative stress in terrestrial animals, such as snails, which acquire these metals through food from storage plants in industrial and coal-burning-polluted areas. In this research, we measured the impact and distribution of power plant TC Kosovo as activity on the concentrations of heavy metals (Pb, Zn, Ni) in the locality of Obiliq, as well as their effect on oxidative stress parameters such as carbonyl proteins, malondialdehyde (MDA), and total proteins in the hepatopancreas of the snail Helix pomatia L. We collected 120 soil samples and 12 snails from concentric circles around the pollution point at distances of 1 km, 2 km, and 5 km. Relevant methods were then applied, and the samples were measured using a spectrophotometer and flame absorber Analyticyena. Results shown that the heavy metals bioaccumulated from snail shells (Helix pomatia L.), and concentrations of these metals influenced an increase in the levels of oxidative stress parameters, including protein carbonylation, MDA, and total proteins in the hepatopancreas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Caribbean spiny lobster, Panulirus argus, was submitted for necropsy after a number of species-specific fatalities in a public aquarium. The hemolymph was opaque and did not clot and the hepatopancreas had multiple foci of necrosis centered on gram-negative bacteria. Pure cultures of Vibrio harveyi were isolated, identified initially by matrix laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry, and confirmed by multilocus sequencing of the gyrB, recA, rpoA, and pyrH genes. As Caribbean spiny lobsters continue to be used for consumption and displayed in public aquariums, chronicling potential pathogens is warranted to inform differential diagnoses and to develop management strategies to reduce incidence of infectious disease in captive populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis is the property of Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Highlight Research • The effect of immersion duration of shrimp to the immunostimulant from crude protein Zoothamnium penaei was determined. • 20-minute immersion duration in crude protein from Zoothamnium penaei was found to increase the phagocytosis activities, phenoloxidase, and improve hepatopancreases of the shrimp. • There is increase in phagocytosis activities, phenoloxidase and improved hepatopancreases cell within a three-week maintenance of shrimp with immersion after each seven days. • There is interaction between immersion duration and maintenance time of shrimp into the crude protein from Zoothamnium penaei. Abstract Enterocytozoon hepatopenaei (EHP) is a spore-forming microsporidia intracellular parasite, which slough off the cells of the hepatopancreases of the shrimp. This study was intended to determine the effect of immersion duration and maintenance time to stimulate the immune system of shrimps by using a crude protein from Zoothamnium penaei to protect against EHP infections. The study used a completely randomized design where shrimps were divided into four groups each having five replicates. Groups P1, P2, P3 were immersed in immunostimulant for 10, 15, and 20 minutes respectively, except negative control. The phenoloxidase, phagocytosis activities, histopathology study were determined. Also, the molecular diagnosis of EHP was measured to confirm EHP infection in the shrimp samplesThe phenoloxidase activity significantly increased after immersion for 20 minutes (P3) from 0.64-, 0.72-, and 0.78-units min-1 mil -1 of protein on the first week, second week and third week, respectively. The phagocytosis activities of the sample immersed for 20 minutes were significantly increased to 68% on the second week. The sample also showed improved hepatopancreases epithelial cells with only 26% necrotic cell, less EHP spore and vacuolation. There was an interaction between immersion duration and maintenance time of the L. vannamei immersed in crude protein from Zoothamnium penaei. Twenty minutes immersion were significantly found to stimulate the immune system of the shrimp against EHP. The present work revealed that, the application of crude protein from Z. penaei is effective against EHP in shrimp culture.

Providing mankind with high-quality products of aquaculture is possible only by introduction of modern industrial technologies to fish farming, growing fish based on modern scientific achievements. Assessment of the ecotoxic situation and identification of impacts of various unfavourable factors of aquatic environment on aquatic organisms should be made through morphological studies of the organs that are first to encounter the impact. The study revealed species specifics of the morphology of the liver of the fishes of the Cyprinidae family – Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio), Eurasian carp (Cyprinus carpio), and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), which vary by extent of the motor activity in the aquatic environment, nutrition, etc. We determined that during phylogenetic development of fish that grow in the aquatic environment, there occurs a certain restructuring of the liver: the adaptation to various living conditions were accompanied by changes in a number of parameters of macro- and microscopic architectonics of the liver. Cyprinus carpio and Carassius gibelio (omnivores) have a two-lobe liver, while Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (a herbivore) has a three-lobe liver. For C. carpio and H. nobilis, a characteristic feature of the liver was presence of the hepatopancreatitis (the liver and the pancreas, associated into a single organ), and in C. gibelio, they are differentiated into individual organs. A peculiarity of the microscopic structure of the liver of the Cyprinidae family is poorly developed interlobular connective tissue, and parenchyma of the liver lobule has a tubular structure as polyhedral, curved thick-walled tubules, the walls of which are hepatocytes. The greatest amounts of cytoplasm and karyoplasms were seen in C. gibelio, equaling respectively 12.98 ± 1.42 and 0.40 ± 0.02 µm³. The lowest volume of the indicated parameters was in C. carpio, particularly 2.97 ± 0.22 and 0.21 ± 0.01 µm³, respectively. The lowest nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio was observed in hepatocytes of C. gibelio (0.0316 ± 0.0024). The conducted morphological studies at the levels of organs, tissues and cells can reveal how the fishes’ bodies adapt to particular living conditions and impacts of environmental factors.

The contamination of aquatic ecosystems by the heavy metal copper (Cu) is an important environmental issue and poses significant risks to the physiological functions of aquatic organisms. Macrobrachium rosenbergii is one of the most important freshwater-cultured prawns in the world. The hepatopancreas of crustaceans is a key organ for immune defense, heavy metal accumulation, and detoxification, playing a pivotal role in toxicological research. However, research on the molecular response of the hepatopancreas in M. rosenbergii to Cu exposure is still lacking. In this study, the transcriptomic response in the hepatopancreas of M. rosenbergii was studied after Cu exposure for 3 and 48 h. Compared with the control group, 11,164 (7288 up-regulated and 3876 down-regulated genes) and 10,937 (6630 up-regulated and 4307 down-regulated genes) differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified after 3 and 48 h exposure, respectively. Most of these DEGs were up-regulated, implying that gene expressions were largely induced by Cu. Functional enrichment analysis of these DEGs revealed that immunity, copper homeostasis, detoxification, DNA damage repair, and apoptosis were differentially regulated by Cu. Seven genes involved in immunity, detoxification, and metabolism were selected for validation by qRT-PCR, and the results confirmed the reliability of RNA-Seq. All these findings suggest that M. rosenbergii attempts to resist the toxicity of Cu by up-regulating the expression of genes related to immunity, metabolism, and detoxification. However, with the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), the antioxidant enzyme system was destroyed. As a result, DNA damage repair and the cellular stress response were inhibited, thereby exacerbating cell damage. In order to maintain the normal function of the hepatopancreas, M. rosenbergii removes damaged cells by activating the apoptosis mechanism. Our study not only facilitates an understanding of the molecular response mechanisms of M. rosenbergii underlying Cu toxicity effects but also helps us to identify potential biomarkers associated with the stress response in other crustaceans.

[Objective] To analyze the nutritional components and quality of different edible parts such as muscle, hepatopancreas and gonad of male and female Eriocheir sinensis of Yellow River Estuary. [Method] The study compared the contents of conventional nutritional components, minerals, amino acids and fatty acid of the edible parts of male and female Eriocheir sinensis, such as muscles, hepatopancreas and gonads. [Result]The contents of protein in gonad and fat in hepatopancreas were the highest, the content of protein in the gonads and hepatopancreas and edible fat of female Eriocheir sinensis were higher than that of male Eriocheir sinensis in the Yellow River Estuary. It was detected seven mineral elements which were significantly different in edible parts of male and female crabs. The contents of Ca and Mn in male crabs’ gonads, the contents of Mg, P and Zn in female crabs’ gonads, and the contents of Fe and Cu in hepatopancreas of female crabs were the highest. Among the 19 amino acids detected, the content of glutamic acid was the highest, followed by aspartic acid. The content of total amino acids (TAA), essential amino acids (EAA), semi-essential amino acids (SEAA), delicious amino acid (DAA) and no-essential amino acids (NEAA) in gonad were the highest, and branched-chain amino acid in the edible part was the highest. It was totally detected 30 fatty acids, including 13 saturated fatty acids (SFA), 7 monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and 10 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The contents of SFA, MUFA, PUFA, ∑PUFAn-3, ∑PUFAn-6 and total fatty acids in the edible part of the crab were the highest in the hepatopancreas, and female crabs were higher than male crabs. The contents of C22:6n-3(DHA) and DHA/ EPA in the edible part of the crabs were higher, and the fatty acid arteriosclerosis index (AI) and thrombotic index (TI) of the edible fraction were lower, with the mean values of 0. 24-0. 55 and 0. 03-0. 44, respectively. [Conclusion] The edible part of Eriocheir sinensis in the Yellow River Estuary was rich in nutrition and had certain health function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Procambarus clarkii, commonly known as "crayfish" or "freshwater crayfish", is one of the most important freshwater aquaculture species in Chinese mainland. Recently, the aquaculture area and production of the crayfish in Chinese mainland have been continuously increased. However, the stress response caused by various factors, such as climate change, transportation and environmental change has led to more and more serious problems, including explosive disease and even death during culturing the crayfish, which not only decreased the crayfish product quality, but also resulted in serious damage to the crayfish breeding industry. In this study, we first treated the crayfish by transportation and temperature stresses to select the stronger stress resistant (SSR) and the weaker stress resistant (WSR) crayfishes. Then we dissected the hepatopancreas of SSR and WSR crayfishes to compare the metabolomics by Liquid Chromotography-Mass Spectrometry/Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A total of 10292 ions were detected, from which 464 metabolites were identified to be significant different between SSR and WSR (fold change>1.2, P<0.05, and VIP>1.0). Among them, 227 metabolites were down-regulated and 237 metabolites were up-regulated in SSR relative to WSR. KEGG analysis showed that these differential metabolites were mainly enriched in amino acid metabolic pathways, including histidine metabolism, taurine and hypotaurine metabolism, lysine degradation, valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, and glutathione metabolism. They also enriched in ascorbate and aldarate metabolism, carbohydrate metabolic pathways (pentose and glucuronate interconversions), fatty acid metabolic pathways (unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis), etc. These results indicate that there are a wide range of metabolic responses in response to transportation and temperature stress, and some metabolites related to antioxidative stress and enhancing immunity, such as γ-L-Glutamyl-L-cysteine, taurine, and oleic acid, may play an important role in the stress resistance in P. clarkii. This study can not only provide new insights for studying mechanisms of animal stress resistance, but also have important value in developing strategies to cope with the stress response and in breeding new aquaculture strains with strong stress resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To elucidate the physiological regulation mechanism of Penaeus vannamei in response to combined stress of acute cold exposure and waterless duration, and provide a solid foundation for waterless live transport management and improvement in the survival rate, the effects of acute cold exposure combined with waterless duration on the metabolic homeostasis and hepatopancreas histopathology of Penaeus vannamei were explored under conditions simulating waterless live transport. The results showed that the level of lactic acid (LD) in the hemolymph and the activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in the hepatopancreas and muscle increased, the activities of LDH, hexokinase (HK), succinate dehydrogenase (SDH), phosphofructokinase (PFK) and Na+/K+-ATPase in the hemolymph increased initially and then decreased with increasing waterless duration, while the contents of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and glycogen decreased. After resuscitation, the concentrations of glucose (Glu) and LD in the hemolymph were (23.92 ± 0.59) and (6.27 ± 0.32) mmol/L, respectively, and were still significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P < 0.05); the contents of ATP and glycogen in muscle tissues were (4.88 ± 0.31) μmol/g and (1.74 ± 0.10) mg/g, respectively, and were significantly lower than those in the normal control group (P < 0.05). The other indices tested returned to the normal levels. The glycolysis reaction of Penaeus vannamei accelerated with increasing waterless duration from 0 to 3 h, and aerobic respiration was the major respiration pattern. After 3 h, the gluconeogenesis reaction was strengthened, and the anaerobic metabolism was dominant. A waterless duration of 9 h resulted in metabolic disorder, but it could be restored after resuscitation. These findings show that the combined stress of acute cold exposure and waterless duration results in compensatory adjustments in Penaeus vannamei and causes damage to the structure of hepatopancreas, which will provide a theoretical basis for targeted control of metabolism imbalance.

Abstract Molecular analysis of gut content is one of the widest used methods to investigate diet in arthropods. Stomach content analysis in some arthropods is particularly difficult, e.g., in arachnids, because they have external digestion and a low foraging frequency. Scorpions have a particularly low feeding frequency, and their diet information is scarce. In this work we explore a DNA metabarcoding approach to detect prey DNA in Vietnamese forest scorpions (Heterometrus laoticus) under a controlled diet regime. A different type of prey (crickets, mealworms, and cockroaches) was offered once every 3 weeks for a total of 9 weeks. To assess the most suitable part of the digestive system and extraction method to use for molecular diet analysis, we separately analyzed three different portions of the digestive tract of scorpions (mid‐gut, hepatopancreas, and hindgut) using two different extraction methods (salt‐out method and a customized beads‐based protocol). We calculated the detectability half‐life of the prey DNA for each digestive tract section. We detected all three targeted prey items, showing that in scorpions multiple predation events can be distinguished in the same specimen within its last 9 weeks of foraging activity. The hepatopancreas was the portion of the digestive tract that provided the best prey detection and the longest DNA detectability half‐life (51 days), followed by the mid‐gut (22 days) and the hindgut (16 days). We found no significant difference between the extraction methods used. However, the salt‐out method was less effective in some of the PCRs and is therefore not recommended for molecular diet analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cyantraniliprole, a second‐generation diamide insecticide, was recently introduced in China, where the rice–crayfish integrated system (RCIS) is practiced to control rice pest infestations. The aim of this study was to investigate the residue behavior of cyantraniliprole in RCIS and its potential ecological effects on nontarget Procambarus clarkii in order to recommend safe pesticide application strategies. RESULTS: Cyantraniliprole dissipated in rice plants according to first‐order kinetics, with an average half‐life of 5.25 days and a dissipation rate of >95% over 28 days. The terminal cyantraniliprole residue levels in rice straw, paddy hull and brown rice were all within 0.2 mg kg−1, which is the China‐recommended maximum residue limit. The tissues of P. clarkii accumulated and distributed cyantraniliprole in the descending order gill > hepatopancreas > intestine > muscles. Procambarus clarkii exposed to cyantraniliprole exhibited a moderate decrease in weight gain, specific growth rate and condition factor compared to the control group. Exposure of P. clarkii to cyantraniliprole caused histopathological alterations to the hepatopancreas, but the alterations were not statistically significant in the 60 g ai ha−1 cyantraniliprole group when compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: We suggest that 10% cyantraniliprole oil dispersion be sprayed twice at an interval of 14 days and dosage of 60 g ai ha−1 during the growth stage of rice in RCIS. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Exopalaemon carinicauda is a typical representative of crustaceans. However, the mechanism of ovary early development remains obscure. The purpose of this study is to identify and verify important genes related to ovary development by transcriptome sequencing and two-color fluorescent in situ hybridization, respectively. The result would provide clues for further study of ovary development in crustaceans. Eyestalk ablation is an effective method to promote ovarian development in crustaceans. Herein, we performed transcriptome sequencing of ovary and hepatopancreas tissues after eyestalk ablation in Exopalaemon carinicauda to identify genes related to ovarian development. Our analyses led to the identification of 97,383 unigenes and 190,757 transcripts, with an average N50 length of 1757 bp. In the ovary, four pathways related to oogenesis and three related to oocyte rapid growth were enriched. In the hepatopancreas, two vitellogenesis-associated transcripts were identified. Furthermore, short time-series expression miner (STEM) and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analyses revealed five terms related to gamete generation. In addition, two-color fluorescent in situ hybridization results suggested that dmrt1 might play a vital role in oogenesis during the early stage of ovarian development. Overall, our insights should support future studies focusing on investigating oogenesis and ovarian development in E. carinicauda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experiment was to investigate the effect of Artemisia scoparia Waldst. et Kit. powder on growth performance, antioxidant capacity and immunity of Litopenaeus vannamei. A total of 2 100 healthy white shrimp with an body length about 2.5 cm were randomly divided into seven groups, with three replicates in each group and 100 shrimp in each replicate. The shrimp in blank control group (group A) were fed with basal diet, the shrimp in positive control group (group B) were fed with basic diet and 5 ml/L Pentanthus extract was thrown into the water, and shrimp in experimental groups were fed with basal diet supplemented with 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0%, 4.0% and 8.0% Artemisia scoparia Waldst. et Kit. powder, respectively. The experiment lasted for 42 d. The results showed that compared with group A, SR, WGR, CF, HIS, SGR were significantly increased in all groups (P<0.05), FCR significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with group B, WGR and SGR in Artemisia scoparia Waldst. et Kit. powder supplemental groups were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with group A, the content of ammonia nitrogen in all groups except 0.5% group was significantly decreased (P<0.05), except for group B, the nitrite content and pH value of whole shrimp culture water in each group were significantly decreased (P<0.05), pH value of aquaculture water in each group was significantly decreased (P<0.05). Compared with group A, MDA content in hepatopancreas in Artemisia scoparia Waldst. et Kit. powder supplemental groups was significantly decreased (P<0.05), and activitiy of SOD, CAT and PPO were significantly increased (P<0.05). Compared with group A, the mRNA expression levels of Toll-1 and Toll-2 in hepatopancreas tissues in Artemisia scoparia Waldst. et Kit. powder group were significantly decreased (P<0.05). The experiment indicates that Artemisia scoparia Waldst. et Kit. powder can promote growth, antioxidant capacity and non-specific immunity of Litopenaeus vannamei, and the appropriate supplemental ratio is 1.0%~2.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing the use of fishmeal (FM) in aquafeed means a significant saving in the amount of FM at the global level and reducing environmental impacts. One of the potential protein sources to replace FM in shrimp diet is the use of insects' meal. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effects of replacing FM with mealworm (MW; Tenebrio molitor) on the growth, digestive enzymes activity and hepatopancreatic biochemical indices of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Shrimp were fed for 60 days with a control diet (T0) and 4 practical diets (T15, T30, T60 and T100) where 15, 30, 60 and 100% of the FM was substituted by MW, respectively. Results showed that there were significant differences in weight gain (WG) and hepatopancreatic index (HPI) among treatments and the lowest and highest values were observed in T0 and T30, respectively. Our findings indicated a significant increase (P<0.05) in activity of glutathione peroxidase (GPX), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total nitric oxide (TNO) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and a meaningful decrease (P<0.05) of malondialdehyde (MDA) in hepatopancreas of L. vannamei juveniles fed diets containing MW. The alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the T0 did not show a significant difference (P>0.05) with other experimental treatments. Protease and lipase indicated an increasing trend with increasing the amount of MW up to 60%. The protease activity showed a significant difference (P<0.05) between the treatments containing MW and the control treatment. These findings indicated that MW could be a feasible candidate for replacing FM in diets of the Pacific white shrimp without any detrimental effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing mankind with high-quality products of aquaculture is possible only by introduction of modern industrial technologies to fish farming, growing fish based on modern scientific achievements. Assessment of the ecotoxic situation and identification of impacts of various unfavourable factors of aquatic environment on aquatic organisms should be made through morphological studies of the organs that are first to encounter the impact. The study revealed species specifics of the morphology of the liver of the fishes of the Cyprinidae family – Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio), Eurasian carp (Cyprinus carpio), and bighead carp (Hypophthalmichthys nobilis), which vary by extent of the motor activity in the aquatic environment, nutrition, etc. We determined that during phylogenetic development of fish that grow in the aquatic environment, there occurs a certain restructuring of the liver: the adaptation to various living conditions were accompanied by changes in a number of parameters of macro- and microscopic architectonics of the liver. Cyprinus carpio and Carassius gibelio (omnivores) have a two-lobe liver, while Hypophthalmichthys nobilis (a herbivore) has a three-lobe liver. For C. carpio and H. nobilis, a characteristic feature of the liver was presence of the hepatopancreatitis (the liver and the pancreas, associated into a single organ), and in C. gibelio, they are differentiated into individual organs. A peculiarity of the microscopic structure of the liver of the Cyprinidae family is poorly developed interlobular connective tissue, and parenchyma of the liver lobule has a tubular structure as polyhedral, curved thick-walled tubules, the walls of which are hepatocytes. The greatest amounts of cytoplasm and karyoplasms were seen in C. gibelio, equaling respectively 12.98 ± 1.42 and 0.40 ± 0.02 µm³. The lowest volume of the indicated parameters was in C. carpio, particularly 2.97 ± 0.22 and 0.21 ± 0.01µm³, respectively. The lowest nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio was observed in hepatocytes of C. gibelio (0.0316 ± 0.0024). The conducted morphological studies at the levels of organs, tissues and cells can reveal how the fishes’ bodies adapt to particular living conditions and impacts of environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hydrobiology is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Hydrobiology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Simple Summary: The crustacean hepatopancreas was reported to play important roles in ovarian maturation, providing not only energy but also essential fatty acids and cholesterol required for the synthesis of steroid hormones. In addition, it is also an important site of vitellogenin synthesis in crustaceans. The role of crustacean hepatopancreas in regulating ovarian maturation in crustaceans has attracted more attention. However, the molecular mechanisms about the regulation are little known in scientific research. Our data indicated the key proteins of carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lysosome pathways played important roles in hepatopancreas, as the ovaries developed to maturation in Macrobrachium nipponense. The results provide new insight into regulatory mechanisms of hepatopancreas in crustacean reproduction. A TMT-based (Tandem Mass Tag) liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) proteomics approach was employed to explore differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and KEGG pathways in hepatopancreas of 5 ovary stages. In total, 17,999 peptides were detected, among which 3395 proteins were identified. Further analysis revealed 26, 24, 37, and 308 DEPs in HE-I versus HE-II, HE-II versus HE-Ⅲ, HE-Ⅲ versus HE-Ⅳ, and HE-Ⅳ versus HE-Ⅴ, respectively (HE-I, HE-II, HE-III, HE-IV, and HE-V means hepatopancreas sampled from ovary stage I to V.). Gene ontology (GO) analysis indicated that DEPs were significantly enriched in "catalytic activity", "metabolic process", and "cell" of 4 comparison groups in turn. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment results showed that in hepatopancreas, as the ovaries developed to maturation, carbohydrate metabolism, lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism, and lysosome played important roles in turn. The mRNA expression of 15 selected DEPs were consistent with proteome results by qPCR analysis. Further mRNA expression investigation results suggested 4 proteins (fatty acid-binding protein, NPC intracellular cholesterol transporter 1, Serine hydroxymethyltransferase, and Crustapin) were involved in ovary maturation. These results enhance the understanding of the regulatory role of hepatopancreas in M. nipponense ovary maturation and provide new insights for understanding the crustacean regulation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Acute hepatopancreas necrosis disease (AHPND) is a lethal disease which hinders the development of shrimp aquaculture. It is mainly caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus. In order to learn more about the mechanism of resistance to AHPND and breed the disease resistant broodstocks, transcriptome analysis has been widely used to study the immune responses of shrimp to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection, and many immune-related genes have been reported in response to the pathogen. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between the host metabolism and Vibrio infection. In this study, we performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis on the hepatopancreas of shrimp at different times after V. parahaemolyticus infection. We found that several processes and pathways related to metabolism were significantly upregulated in shrimp hepatopancreas after infection. These results indicate that the metabolism of shrimp plays an important role in response to Vibrio infection. The data provide a new perspective for the development of disease-resistant strategies in shrimp aquaculture. Acute hepatopancreas necrosis disease (AHPND) has caused massive deaths of shrimp and has led to huge economic losses in aquaculture. Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VPAHPND) carrying a plasmid encoding binary toxins homologous to the photorhabdus insect-related (Pir) toxins is one of the main pathogens causing this disease. Previous studies have reported many immune-related genes of shrimp in response to this pathogenic bacteria. However, few studies have so far focused on the metabolic changes in Litopenaeus vannamei upon VPAHPND infection. In the present study, comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed on the hepatopancreas of shrimp at different times during VPAHPND infection. Functional analyses on the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during infection showed that pathways related to glucose, energy and amino acid metabolism, as well as nucleic acid synthesis, were obviously changed in the hepatopancreas after VPAHPND infection. Additionally, three signaling pathways, which could regulate metabolic processes, including HIF-1 signaling pathway, PI3K-Akt signaling pathway and NF-KappaB signaling pathway, also changed significantly. Collectively, these data reveal a close relationship between host metabolism processes and Vibrio infection. The information will enrich our understanding of the interaction mechanism between the shrimp and Vibrio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are known amongst the most dangerous toxicants entering the coastal marine waters from various polluting sources. Even the smallest PCBs doses are capable to change physiological and biochemical processes exerting toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects. So, the aim of this study was to analyze the impact of PCBs at 1, 100, 1000 μg/L on oxidative stress parameters (level of oxidized proteins (neutral aldehydes and ketones, basic aldehydes and ketones) and lipid peroxidation), antioxidant enzyme activities (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT)) and cholinesterase (ChE) activity in the hepatopancreas of mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis during 5 days' of the toxicological experiment. Level of all forms of the oxidized proteins was found significantly increased at 100 μg/L and 1000 μg/L (+50-78% and +150-282%, respectively) compared to the control (p<0.05). Level of lipid peroxidation was considerably higher at 1, 100, 1000 μg/L (+59%, +134%, +269%, respectively) compared to the control (p<0.05). SOD activity significantly raised at 1, 100, 1000 μg/L (+63%, +200%, +118%, respectively) compared to the control (p<0.05), while CAT activity reduced at 1000 μg/L compared to the control, 1 μg/L and 100 μg/L (-29%, -66%, -40%, respectively) (p<0.05). ChE activity was found lower at 1, 100, 1000 μg/L (-60%, -93%, -30%, respectively) compared to the control (p<0.05). Possible mechanisms of M. galloprovincialis biochemical response to PCBs are discussed. Studied biochemical parameters can be suitable biomarkers for evaluating the toxicity of PCBs and M. galloprovincialis can be used as a bioindicator in the monitoring of marine ecosystems contaminated with these pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Symbiotic microorganisms in the digestive and circulatory systems are found in various crustaceans, and their essential roles in crustacean health, nutrition, and disease have attracted considerable interest. Although the intestinal microbiota of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) has been extensively studied, information on the symbiotic microbiota at various sites of this aquatic economic species, particularly the hepatopancreas and hemolymph, is lacking. This study aimed to comprehensively characterize the hemolymph, hepatopancreas, and intestinal microbiota of Chinese mitten crab through the high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene. Results showed no significant difference in microbial diversity between the hemolymph and hepatopancreas (Welch t-test; p > 0.05), but their microbial diversity was significantly higher than that in the intestine (p < 0.05). Distinct differences were found in the structure, composition, and predicted function of the symbiotic microbiota at these sites. At the phylum level, the hemolymph and hepatopancreas microbiota were dominated by Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Acidobacteriota, followed by Bacteroidota and Actinobacteriota, whereas the gut microbiota was mainly composed of Firmicutes, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidota. At the genus level, Candidatus Hepatoplasma, Shewanella, and Aeromonas were dominant in the hepatopancreas; Candidatus Bacilloplasma, Roseimarinus, and Vibrio were dominant in the intestine; Enterobacter, norank_Vicinamibacterales, and Pseudomonas were relatively high-abundance genera in the hemolymph. The composition and abundance of symbiotic microbiota in the hemolymph and hepatopancreas were extremely similar (p > 0.05), and no significant difference in functional prediction was found (p > 0.05). Comparing the hemolymph in the intestine and hepatopancreas, the hemolymph had lower variation in bacterial composition among individuals, having a more uniform abundance of major bacterial taxa, a smaller coefficient of variation, and the highest proportion of shared genera. Network complexity varied greatly among the three sites. The hepatopancreas microbiota was the most complex, followed by the hemolymph microbiota, and the intestinal microbiota had the simplest network. This study revealed the taxonomic and functional characteristics of the hemolymph, hepatopancreas, and gut microbiota in Chinese mitten crab. The results expanded our understanding of the symbiotic microbiota in crustaceans, providing potential indicators for assessing the health status of Chinese mitten crab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of ultrasonication at different amplitudes (40% and 60%) and time (5, 10, and 15 min) on the physicochemical and emulsifying properties of the fish myofibrillar protein (FMP) were investigated. Solubility, surface hydrophobicity, and emulsifying properties were augmented when FMP was subjected to ultrasonication at 40% amplitude for 15 min (p

The oriental river prawn Macrobrachium nipponense is an important freshwater economic species in China, producing huge economic benefits. However, M. nipponense shows lower alkali tolerance than fish species, thus genetic selection is urgently needed in order to improve alkali tolerance in this species. In the present study, the effects of alkalinity exposure on the hepatopancreas of M. nipponense were measured under the alkali concentrations of 0 (control), 4, 8, and 12 mmol/L with the exposure time of 96 h through histological observations, measurement of antioxidant enzymes, metabolic profiling analysis, and transcriptome profiling analysis. The present study identified that the low concentration of alkali treatment (8 mmol/L) damaged the normal structures of the lumen and vacuoles and significantly stimulated the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total antioxidant capacity, indicating these antioxidant enzymes play essential roles in the protection of the body from the damage caused by the alkali treatment. Metabolic profiling analysis revealed that the main enriched metabolic pathways of differentially expressed metabolites in the present study were consistent with the metabolic pathways caused by environmental stress in plants and other aquatic animals. Transcriptome profiling analysis revealed that the alkali concentration of M. nipponense. The expressions of Ras-like GTP-binding protein, Doublesex and mab-3 related transcription factor 1a, and Hypothetical protein JAY84 are sensitive to changes in alkali concentrations, suggesting these three genes participated in the process of alkali adaptation in M. nipponense. The present study identified the effects of alkalinity exposure on the hepatopancreas of M. nipponense, including the changes in antioxidant status and the expressions of metabolites and genes, contributing to further studies of alkali tolerance in this species.

The aim: study the effect of the synthetic anabolic steroid 19-nortestosterone on the fractional composition of blood plasma proteins, as well as the total protein and albumin content, indicators of the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, macro- and microelements in the fish hepatopancreas. Materials and methods. The experiments were conducted on two-year-old carp (Cyprinus carpio L.), which were kept for 24 hours in aquariums with a volume of 40 dm³ with different concentrations of 19-nortestosterone in water at optimal temperature, oxygen content, and pH. Spectrophotometric methods and an automatic biochemical analyzer were used to determine metabolic indicators in fish, and disk electrophoresis in PAGE was used to determine the fractional composition of proteins. Results. It was established that the steroid hormone 19-nortestosterone, the concentration of which in the water of the fish of the experimental groups was 50 and 200 µg/dm³, respectively, increased the level of total protein and albumin, the concentration of glucose, triglycerides, creatinine, inorganic phosphorus and iron in the hepatopancreas and did not affect the calcium content . In the blood plasma of carp, kept in water with a concentration of 19-nortestosterone of 50 µg/dm³, the content of proteins with a molecular weight of 240-231 increases; 215-179; 169-146 and 105-95 kDa, decreases - 35-33 kDa, fractions of proteins with a molecular weight of 228-220 appear; 116-105 and 48-44 kDa. An increase in the con-centration of 19-nortestosterone in water to 200 µg/dm³ increased the content of proteins with a molecular weight of 240-231 and 215-179 kDa in the blood plasma of fish, and decreased it by 35-33 kDa, causing the redistribution of individual protein fractions due to the appearance of proteins with a molecular weight of 240-228; 116-105 and 48-44 kDa in the absence of proteins 42-41; 38-36 and 24-20 kDa. Conclusions. Based on the obtained results, it was concluded that the anabolic synthetic steroid 19-nortestosterone stimulates the biosynthesis of proteins, the metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids, and its effect on the content of minerals in the hepatopancreas and the fractional composition of blood plasma proteins in carp fish was proven [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Macrobrachium nipponense is an economically and ecologically important freshwater prawn that is widely farmed in China. In contrast to other species of marine shrimp, M. nipponense has a short sexual maturity period, resulting in not only high stocking densities, but also a reduced survival rate and increased risk of hypoxia. Therefore, there is an urgent need to study the molecular mechanisms underlying fast ovary maturation in this species. Results Comparative transcriptome analysis was performed using hepatopancreatic tissue from female M. nipponense across five ovarian maturation stages to explore differentially expressed genes and pathways involved in ovarian maturation. In total, 118.01 Gb of data were generated from 15 transcriptomes. Approximately 90.46% of clean reads were mapped from the M. nipponense reference genome. A comprehensive comparative analysis between successive ovarian maturation stages generated 230–5814 differentially expressed genes. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment was highly concentrated in the “biological process” category in all four comparison groups, and mainly focused on energy synthesis and accumulation, energy decomposition and transport. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment results showed that, among 20 significantly enriched KEGG pathways, nine were involved in the synthesis, degradation, and metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and other nutrient intermediates, suggesting that the hepatopancreas has an important role in energy supply during ovarian maturation. Furthermore, the “Insect hormone biosynthesis” pathway was found to have a dominant role in the development of the ovary from immaturity to maturity, supporting the hypothesis that ecdysteroid- and juvenile hormone-signaling pathways have an important role in hepatopancreas regulation of ovarian maturation. Conclusion Taken together, this study sheds light on the role of the hepatopancreas in the molecular regulation of ovary maturation in M. nipponense. The present study provided new insights for understanding the mechanisms of reproductive regulation in crustaceans.

Simple Summary: The giant freshwater prawn culture is still challenged by dependence on diets containing high percentages of unsustainable and expensive marine-derived ingredients that are necessary to ensure the proper growth and welfare of this species. The present study proposed the replacement of fish meal and fish oil with black soldier fly full-fat prepupae meal enriched with spirulina in order to formulate two experimental diets intended for giant freshwater prawn, which were tested during a 60-day feeding trial in aquaponic systems. The present research represents an example of implementing more sustainable aquafeeds and farming techniques that promote both the valorization of circular economies and zero-waste concepts. Due to the limited application of insect meal in giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) culture, the present study aimed to (i) produce spirulina-enriched full-fat black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) prepupae meal (HM) and (ii) test, for the first time, two experimental diets characterized by 3% or 20% of fish meal and fish oil replacement with full-fat HM (HM3 and HM20, respectively) on M. rosenbergii post-larvae during a 60-day feeding trial conducted in aquaponic systems. The experimental diets did not negatively affect survival rates or growth. The use of spirulina-enriched HM resulted in a progressive increase in α-tocopherol and carotenoids in HM3 and HM20 diets that possibly played a crucial role in preserving prawn muscle-quality traits. The massive presence of lipid droplets in R cells in all the experimental groups reflected a proper nutrient provision and evidenced the necessity to store energy for molting. The increased number of B cells in the HM3 and HM20 groups could be related to the different compositions of the lipid fraction among the experimental diets instead of a nutrient absorption impairment caused by chitin. Finally, the expression of the immune response and stress markers confirmed that the experimental diets did not affect the welfare status of M. rosenbergii post-larvae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the level of metals, metalloids, non–metals, and mineral elements in the edible parts as well as in other organs of Rapana venosa, obtained from the Eastern Black Sea. The concentrations of Ba, Ca, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Ni, P, Mo, Se, Pb, Sr, and Zn within the organs showed significant variations. The operculum possessed significantly higher Ba, Co, Cr, Fe, Mo, Pb, and Se, while the hepatopancreas had higher Ca, Cu, Ni, P, Sr, and Zn concentrations. The target hazard quotient (THQ) and total THQ were < 1, indicating no potential health risk to consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hydrobiology is the property of Editorial Department of Journal of Hydrobiology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Intensive shrimp farming is often threatened by microcystins Hepatopancreas is the primary target organ of MCs in shrimp. To investigate the response of hepatopancreas to acute MC-LR exposure, the expression profiles of RNA-seq and miRNA-seq in the hepatopancreas of L. vannamei were determined, and data integration analysis was performed at 72 h after MC-LR injection. The expression of 5 DEGs and three DEMs were detected by Quantitative PCR (qPCR). The results showed that the cumulative mortality rate of shrimp in MC-LR treatment group was 41.1%. A total of 1229 differentially expressed genes (844 up- and 385 downregulated) and 86 differentially expressed miRNAs (40 up- and 46 downregulated) were identified after MC-LR exposure. Functional analysis indicated that DEGs is mainly involved in the oxidative activity process in molecular functional categories, and proteasome was the most enriched KEGG pathway for mRNAs profile. According to the functional annotation of target genes of DEMs, protein binding was the most important term in the GO category, and protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) was the most enriched KEGG pathway. The regulatory network of miRNAs and DEGs involved in the pathway related to protein degradation in endoplasmic reticulum was constructed, and miR-181-5p regulated many genes in this pathway. The results of qPCR showed that there were significant differences in the expression of five DEGs and three DEMs, which might play an important role in the toxicity and hepatopancreas detoxification of MC-LR in shrimp. The results revealed that MC-LR exposure affected the degradation pathway of misfolded protein in ER of L. vannamei hepatopancreas, and miR-181-5p might play an important role in the effect of MC-LR on the degradation pathway of misfolded protein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Brazilian Journal of Biology is the property of Instituto Internacional de Ecologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

To evaluate the effects of dietary aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) on growth performance, feed efficiency, and histological changes in juvenile red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii), crayfish with initial body weight of [(0.382±0.005) g] were fed with four diets containing 0, 10, 100 and 1000 µg/kg AFB1 for a 42-day trial. Significant lower survival rate (SR), feeding rate (FR), final body weight (FBW), specific growth rate (SGR) and feed efficiency (FE) were observed in 100 µg/kg and 1000 µg/kg AFB1 group, while no significant differences were found in 10 µg/kg group compared to control group. There were no significant differences in alkaline phosphatase (AKP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate, aminotransferase (AST), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in hepatopancreas between the control and 10 µg/kg AFB1 group, while significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD) was observed in 10 µg/kg AFB1 group. AFB1 above 100 µg/ kg significantly impacted activities of the aforementioned hepatopancreas enzymes. Slight histological changes were identified in hepatopancreas of 10 µg/kg AFB1 group. However, severe lesions of hepatopancreas were found in 100 µg/kg and 1000 µg/kg AFB1 group, which showed decreased numbers of R-cells and increased numbers of B-cells. The ultrastructural results showed that with the increase of AFB1 concentration, hepatopancreas demonstrated swelling mitochondria, expanded rough endoplasmic reticulum, increased cytoplasmic vesicles and larger lipid droplets. No AFB1 residues were detected in whole body when crayfish were fed with AFB1 up to 100 µg/kg, however, tiny dose (1.65 µg/kg) of AFB1 were detected in the group with 1000 µg/kg AFB1, which was below the safety limitation of FDA. In summary, dietary AFB1 above 10 µg/kg had an adverse effect on juvenile crayfish, which indicated that red swamp crayfish was a sensitive species to AFB1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Shipin Kexue/ Food Science is the property of Food Science Editorial Department and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Vibrio are known opportunistic pathogens of pond‐cultured fish and shrimp. This study determined the presumptive Vibrio count (PVC) and percentage composition of "beneficial" sucrose‐fermenting vibrios (SFVs) and "pathogenic" non‐SFVs in the water, sediment, gills and intestines of healthy tilapia Oreochromis niloticus collected every 2 weeks from Days 30 to 120 post‐stocking in brackish water earthen ponds. PVCs in water and sediment ranged from 102–104 CFU/ml/CFU/g while in tilapias' gills and intestines, PVCs ranged from 103–106 CFU/g and 102–106 CFU/g, respectively, with SFVs dominating in water, sediment, gills (≥50%), and intestines (≥80%) of tilapia. Because use of tilapia‐conditioned green water (TCGW) for shrimp's grow‐out culture has been reported effective against acute hepatopancreatic necrosis disease outbreaks caused by V. parahaemolyticus, PVC, SFVs/non‐SFVs (%), and V. parahaemolyticus count (VPC) in the recycled TCGW and Litopenaeus vannamei's hepatopancreas were also examined from stocking until 105 days of culture (DOC) in earthen ponds. PVCs ranging from 102–103 CFU/ml and 103–104 CFU/g were noted in water and shrimp's hepatopancreas, respectively. While non‐SFVs population in water varied, a downward trend typified by an abrupt 50% reduction was noted in hepatopancreas at DOC 42, and remained or further dropped until DOC 105. VPCs in water likewise varied (undetectable–102 CFU/ml) while in hepatopancreas, counts dropped to undetectable level from DOC 70 onwards. Current data illustrate that remarkable shift of SFVs' dominance in the water and concomitantly in shrimp's hepatopancreas, plays a pivotal role in regulating non‐SFVs proliferation in shrimp's hepatopancreas via competitive exclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we investigated whether the widely distributed snail Cepaea nemoralis could be used as a suitable sentinel animal for assessing the effects of soil contaminants—petroleum oil derivatives—after years of soil ageing and treatment with a bacterial formulation. Oxidative stress was assessed in the foot and hepatopancreas of C. nemoralis L. exposed to soil contaminated with unleaded petrol, spent engine oil or diesel oil and bioremediated with a bacterial formulation (soil was used 2 years after contamination and bioremediation process). We measured total antioxidant capacity, catalase and glutathione transferase activity and concentrations of superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide and protein carbonyls in the foot and hepatopancreas of snails after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. The studied antioxidant responses appeared largely to be tissue and remediation process specific, while the concentrations of superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide and protein carbonyls depended on time of exposure, tissue type and the type of contaminants, but mostly not on the remediation process. Generally, changes in the concentrations of superoxide anions, hydrogen peroxide and protein carbonyls in the hepatopancreas of snails seemed to be a suitable measure to assess the risk of animals exposed to soil contaminated with petroleum substances and used after many years of ageing and treatment with a microbial formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The decrease of seawater pH can affect the metabolism, acid-base balance, immune response and immunoprotease activity of aquatic animals, leading to aquatic animal stress, impairing the immune system of aquatic animals and weakening disease resistance, etc. In this study, we performed high-throughput sequencing analysis of the hepatopancreas transcriptome library of low pH stress penaeus monodon , and after sequencing quality control, a total of 43488612–56271828 Clean Reads were obtained, and GO annotation and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis were performed on the obtained Clean Reads, and a total of 395 DEGs were identified. we mined 10 differentially expressed and found that they were significantly enriched in the Metabolic pathways (ko01100), Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites (ko01110), Nitrogen metabolism (ko00910) pathways, such as PIGA, DGAT1, DGAT2, UBE2E on Metabolic pathways; UGT, GLT1, TIM genes on Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites; CA, CA2, CA4 genes on Nitrogen metabolism, are involved in lipid metabolism, induction of oxidative stress and inflammation in the muscular body of spot prawns. These genes play an important role in lipid metabolism, induction of oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the muscle of the shrimp. In summary, these genes provide valuable reference information for future breeding of low pH-tolerant shrimp. • The effect of acute low ph stress on the hepatopancreas of penaeus monodon was studied. • The study unearthed 10 DEGs that play important roles in metabolism, oxidative stress and inflammation in Penaeus monodon. • This study will provide valuable reference information for breeding penaeus monodon with low ph tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molting is a basic physiological behavior of the Oriental river prawn (Macrobrachium nipponense), however, the gene expression patterns and immune mechanisms during the molting process of Oriental river prawn are unclear. In the current study, the gene expression levels of the hepatopancreas of the Oriental river prawn at different molting stages (pre-molting, Prm; mid-molting, Mm; and post-molting, Pom) were detected by mRNA sequencing. A total of 1721, 551, and 1054 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the Prm hepatopancreas (PrmHe) and Mm hepatopancreas (MmHe), MmHe and Pom hepatopancreas (PomHe) and PrmHe and PomHe, respectively. The results showed that a total of 1151 DEGs were annotated into 316 signaling pathways, and the significantly enriched immune-related pathways were "Lysosome", "Hippo signaling pathway", "Apoptosis", "Autophagy-animal", and "Endocytosis". The qRT-PCR verification results of 30 randomly selected DEGs were consistent with RNA-seq. The expression patterns of eight immune related genes in different molting stages of the Oriental river prawn were analyzed by qRT-PCR. The function of Caspase-1 (CASP1) was further investigated by bioinformatics, qRT-PCR, and RNAi analysis. CASP1 has two identical conserved domains: histidine active site and pentapeptide motif, and the expression of CASP1 is the highest in ovary. The expression levels of triosephosphate isomerase (TPI), Cathepsin B (CTSB) and Hexokinase (HXK) were evaluated after knockdown of CASP1. This research provides a valuable basis to improve our understanding the immune mechanisms of Oriental river prawns at different molting stages. The identification of immune-related genes is of great significance for enhancing the immunity of the Oriental river prawn, or other crustaceans, by transgenic methods in the future. • The hepatopancreas tissue transcriptome of Macrobrachium nipponense at different molting stages was constructed. • A total of 3326 DEGs were identified, including 1932 up-regulated genes and 1394 down-regulated genes. • Expression patterns of the 30 DEGs validated by qRT-PCR were consistent with the result of RNAseq. • Many DEGs were enriched in immune-related pathways. • The regulatory relationship between Caspase-1 and other immune-related genes was studied by RNAi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on the effect of common natural diets, scadfish and squid on the growth performance, morphology, histology and fatty acids of ovary and hepatopancreas of female orange mud crabs, Scylla olivacea. Twenty individuals of newly mature crabs (body weight = 69.21 ± 2.19 g, carapace width = 7.18 ± 0.07 cm) with 10 individuals per treatment were cultured for 60 days with ambient water parameters. Twenty individuals of control crabs were also collected from the wild. The highest body weight gain (BWG), carapace width gain (CWG), gonadosomatic index (GSI) as well as oocyte and tubule diameter were recorded during the captivity, with the mud crabs fed with scadfish leading (BWG = 36.58%, CWG = 14.90%, GSI = 0.47%, oocyte diameter = 47.19 μm, tubule diameter = 167.82 μm). Likewise, high concentrations of ∑PUFA, ∑EPA, ∑DHA and ∑n3 were reported in scadfish‐fed crabs compared to both squid‐fed and wild‐caught crabs (p < 0.05). In contrast, lower fatty acids were noted in the hepatopancreas of crabs from all treatments, suggesting an occurrence of nutrient transfer from the hepatopancreas to the ovaries. Overall results concluded that scadfish is preferred as the main diet for crabs in captivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical that disrupts the endocrine system and may have negative implications on the lipid metabolism of organisms. To ascertain BPA implications on lipid metabolism in the hepatopancreas of Sesarmops sinensis , we exposed S. sinensis to different concentrations of BPA for 14 days. The outcomes manifested that BPA may stimulate hepatopancreas injury and lipid deposition in the hepatopancreas of S. sinensis and lead to the increase of hepatosomatic index (HSI). Transcriptome analysis showed that lipid metabolism-related pathways were significantly enriched in KEGG pathways. BPA exposure also caused disorders in lipid metabolism by altering fatty acid composition and lipid metabolites. The up-regulation of lipid synthesis genes and the alteration of lipid transport genes may be important reasons for the disorder of lipid metabolism. Furthermore, these outcomes provide a fresh point of reference for comprehending the ecotoxicological impacts of BPA on aquatic organisms. • Bisphenol A caused hepatopancreas structural damage and increased lipid droplets. • Bisphenol A led to an enrichment of lipid metabolism-linked pathways. • Bisphenol A changes the composition of fatty acids. • Bisphenol A altered the expression of lipid metabolites and lipid metabolism-linked genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lectins are versatile proteins that specifically recognize and interact with sugar moieties expressed on the cell surface. The potential of lectin in drug targeting and delivery has instigated interest to identify natural lectins. Crabs have been identified as a rich source of lectin because the innate immune system is activated on encounter of pathogens and helps in the production of lectin. Although the presence of lectins in crab's hemolymph is well documented, little information about lectin in hepatopancreas, a vital organ for immunity and digestion in crustaceans, is currently available. A calcium dependent lectin (75 kDa) was purified from the hepatopancreas of the freshwater crab Oziotelphusa naga by bioadsorption and fetuin linked Sepharose 4B affinity chromatography technique. The isolated hepatopancreas lectin is calcium dependent and maximum agglutination was observed with rabbit erythrocytes. The hemagglutinating activity of the hepatopancreas lectin was effectively inhibited by sugars, such as α-lactose, GlcNAc, trehalose and NeuAc. Compared to sialylated N-glycosylated proteins including transferrin and apo transferrin, sialylated O-glycosylated proteins like fetuin exhibited stronger inhibitory effect. The ability of erythrocytes to bind hepatopancreas lectin has been diminished by desialylation of the potent inhibitor, indicating the significance of sialic acid in lectin-ligand interactions. The purified hepatopancreas lectin showed a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Proteus mirabilis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli and fungi Candida albicans and Aspergillus niger. The findings of this study demonstrate the significance of hepatopancreas lectin as a multifunctional defense protein that inhibits the growth of bacteria and fungi. • Purification of a hepatopancreas lectin from crab Oziotelphusa naga by bioadsorption and affinity chromatography. • The isolated hepatopancreas lectin is calcium dependent and exhibited maximum agglutination with rabbit erythrocytes. • Hemagglutination of hepatopancreas lectin was inhibited by sugar, α-lactose and glycoprotein, fetuin. • De-O-acetylation studies confirmed the O-acetyl specificity of the lectin. • The purified lectin demonstrated high antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scylla paramamosain , an economically valuable crustacean with a particular emphasis on female mud crabs possessing mature ovaries, is demanded extensively due to its exceptional market value. The study focused on understanding the proximate and biochemical compositions of eggs, ovaries and hepatopancreas across different maturation stages. Nine berried and non-berried female mud crabs were meticulously analyzed morphologically and microscopically. The protein contents were significantly higher in the ovary of berried S. paramamosain at stage-II (∼ 72 %) surpassing hepatopancreas and the non-berried counterparts (∼ 42 %), whereas, the egg showed slightly higher protein contents at the 1st maturation stage (∼ 67 %). The fatty acids, including Saturated Fatty acids (SFAs), Mono-unsaturated Fatty acids (MUFAs) and Poly-unsaturated Fatty acids (n6-PUFAs and n3-PUFAs), showed an incremental decrease during all the maturation stages of berried S. paramamosain across all three organelles. Interestingly, these fatty acids were significantly higher in the hepatopancreas (∼ 32, 31, 7 and 26, respectively) and lower in the ovary (∼ 28, 28, 6 and 25, respectively) of non-berried S. paramamosain. The eicosapentanoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) showed an incremental decrease in eggs and hepatopancrease of berried and non-berried S. paramamosain in maturation stages I-III (∼ 11, 10, 9 % and ∼ 19, 15, 10 %, respectively, and ∼ 10, 9, 8, 8 % and ∼17, 16, 13, 12 %, respectively), which were significantly higher in the ovary of non-berried S. paramamosain (∼ 9 and 12 %, respectively) when compared with any of these maturation stages of the berried S. paramamosain (∼ means 7 and 8.33 %, respectively). The Total Essential Amino Acids (ΣEAA) and Total Non-Essential Amino Acids (ΣNEAA) displayed an incremental decrease in the egg and an increase in the ovary and hepatopancreas during the mentioned maturation stages. The glutamic acid, however, showed an incremental decrease in the egg and an increase in the ovary and hepatopancreas of berried S. paramamosain which was significantly prominent in the ovary of non-berried S. paramamosain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microplastics (MPs) are prevalent throughout the oceans and pose a significant global environmental concern due to their detrimental effects on various living organisms. While researchers have investigated the toxicity mechanisms of MPs in marine species, there is a need for a more comprehensive understanding, particularly regarding the potential adverse effects on the growth and metabolism of bivalves. In this study, indoor exposure experiments were conducted on Pinctada fucata martensii to examine the impact of commercial polyvinyl chloride (PVC)-MPs (50 μm, 15 mg/L). The aim was to determine the effects of MPs on the hepatopancreas metabolism of P. f. martensii. Non-targeted metabolomics analysis indicated alterations in the hepatopancreatic metabolic of P. f. martensii following exposure to PVC-MPs. A total of 32, 27, and 154 differential metabolites (SDM) were identified in EG (1-d) vs CG (1-d), EG (15-d) vs CG (15-d), and EG (1-d) vs EG (15-d), respectively (VIP >1 and P < 0.05). Further examination of metabolic pathways revealed that PVC-MPs disrupted the metabolism of amino acids, particularly alanine, aspartic acid, and glutamic acid metabolism; this suggests that the organism may have developed neurotoxicity. Sphingolipid metabolites showed a significant up-regulation in both EG (15-d) vs CG (15-d), as well as in EG (1-d) vs EG (15-d), indicating lipid peroxidation in the hepatopancreas of P. f. martensii following PVC-MPs exposure. Additionally, in EG (1-d) vs CG (1-d), starch and sucrose metabolism were significantly inhibited, glycolysis or gluconeogenesis pathways were promoted, and changes in energy metabolism were promoted. This study sheds light on the impact of MPs on the metabolism of bivalves, offering fresh insights into the detrimental effects of MPs on aquatic organisms. • PVC-MPs exposure can affect the key metabolites and metabolic pathways of P. f. martensii. • PVC-MPs exposure affected lipid, carbohydrate, amino acid and energy metabolism. • PVC-MPs exposure may lead to neurotoxicity in P. f. martensii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to explore the effects of different starch source diets on the growth performance and hepatopancreas RNA-seq of grass carp. Juvenile grass carp (initial body weight of 39.4 ± 1.6 g) were fed diets containing 25% corn (CO), potato (PO), and wheat (WH) starch for 8 weeks, respectively. The weight gain ratio (WGR) was significantly lower, whereas the visceral somatic index (VSI) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were significantly higher in the CO group than those in the PO and WH groups. These indicators did not significantly differ between the PO and WH groups. Hepatopancreas RNA-seq analysis showed that 536, 514, and 647 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out in the comparisons of PO vs. WH, PO vs. CO, and CO vs. WH. The DEGs were mainly enriched in the several known pathways involved in steroid biosynthesis, cell cycle, fatty acid metabolism, and fat digestion and absorption according to Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis. The major DEGs related to lipid and carbohydrate metabolism were analyzed, in which lipogenesis-related DEGs (fasn, acc1, scd1, elovl6, and me1), fat digestion and absorption-related DEGs (fabp7, apoa1, apoa4, and pla2), and glycometabolism-related DEGs (gk, g6pd, and pepck) were down-regulated in the PO group compared with those in the CO and WH groups. Conversely, steroid synthesis-related DEGs (hmgcs, fdft1, sqle, lss, cyp51, msmo1, nsdhl, ugt, cyp1b1, and cyp7a1) were up-regulated in the PO group. These results indicate that the long-term PO ingestion could modulate hepatic lipid metabolism by reducing fatty acid biosynthesis and increasing bile acid biosynthesis. PO may be healthier in contrast to CO alone, which may not be suitable as a starch source in grass carp diet.

Long-term feed route exposure to T-2 toxin was proved to elicit growth retarding effects and induction of oxidative stress and apoptosis in Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis). However, no study with a holistic perspective has been conducted to date to further describe the in-depth toxicological mechanism of T-2 toxin in E.sinensis. In this study, an RNA-Sequencing (RNA-seq) was used in this study to investigate the effects of feed supplementation with 0 mg/kg and 4 mg/kg T-2 toxin on the hepatopancreas transcriptome of E.sinensis and establish a hepatopancreas transcriptome library of T-2 toxin chronically exposed crabs after five weeks, where 14 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out across antioxidant, apoptosis, autophagy, glucolipid metabolism and protein synthesis. The actual expression of all the DEGs (Caspase, ATG4, PERK, ACSL, CAT, BIRC2, HADHA, HADHB, ACOX, PFK, eEFe1, eIF4ɑ, RPL13Ae) was also analyzed by real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR). It was demonstrated that long-term intake of large amounts of T-2 toxin could impair antioxidant enzyme activity, promote apoptosis and protective autophagy, disrupt lipid metabolism and inhibit protein synthesis in the hepatopancreas of E.sinensis. In conclusion, this study explored the toxicity mechanism of T-2 toxin on the hepatopancreas of E.sinensis at the mRNA level, which lays the foundation for further investigation of the molecular toxicity mechanism of T-2 toxin in aquatic crustaceans.

Hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) is a transcriptional factor that induces genes involved in glucose metabolism. HIF-1 is formed by a regulatory α-subunit (HIF-1α) and a constitutive β-subunit (HIF-1β). The white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) induces a shift in glucose metabolism and oxidative stress. HIF-1α is associated with the induction of metabolic changes in tissues of WSSV-infected shrimp. However, the contributions of HIF-1 to viral load and antioxidant responses in WSSV-infected shrimp have been not examined. In this study, the effect of HIF-1 silencing on viral load and the expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase-SOD, glutathione S-transferase-GST, and catalase) along with oxidative damage (lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl) in tissues of white shrimp infected with the WSSV were studied. The viral load increased in hepatopancreas and muscle after WSSV infection, and the accumulative mortality was of 100% at 72 h post-infection. The expression and activity of SOD, catalase, and GST decreased in each tissue evaluated after WSSV infection. Protein carbonyl concentrations increased in each tissue after WSSV infection, while lipid peroxidation increased in hepatopancreas, but not in muscle. Silencing of HIF-1α decreased the WSSV viral load in hepatopancreas and muscle of infected shrimp along with shrimp mortality. Silencing of HIF-1α ameliorated the antioxidant response in a tissue-specific manner, which translated to a decrease in oxidative damage. These results suggest that HIF-1 is essential for restoring the antioxidant response, which counters the oxidative injury associated with WSSV infection.

Lead (Pb) cellular deposits can be detected by histochemistry using a classical potassium dichromate - formalin fixation and post-fixation with 3% potassium dichromate solution. Here we describe an alternative procedure for Pb histochemical detection in the blue crab Callinectes danae. Animals were exposed to Pb (2 µg/mL) for 24, 48 and 96h. Then, buffered formalin solution was used for hepatopancreas and gills fixation, with tissue sections incubated in 3% potassium dichromate at 40 °C for seven days. Counterstains were tested with better results reached using 0.5% phloxine and 1% methylene blue dyes. This adapted method favors Pb deposition studies in wildlife animals since it uses ordinary steps for tissue collection and standard histological procedures. Besides, this method is cheaper and simpler than the classical one for lead deposits detection.

The Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis is an important aquaculture species in China. Recently, hepatopancreatic albinism and necrosis have become important issues that affect the crab farming industry. In this study, live crab samples were collected from a local farm, which were further classified into four groups based on their hepatopancreatic colour, i.e., I, yellow; II, yellow-white; III, white; and, IV, shrunken and necrotic. The four groups were compared with respect to hepatosomatic index (HSI), hepatopancreas histology, as well as proximate and fatty acid compositions in the hepatopancreas. The results showed that the severity of hepatopancreatic lesions was gradually aggravated, and the HSI of Eriocheir sinensis gradually decreased as the colour of the hepatopancreas changed from normal yellow to necrosis. With changes of the hepatopancreatic colour from normal yellow to necrotic, also, the contents of total lipid, carbohydrate and some fatty acids (14:0, 16:0 and 16:1) decreased significantly, especially in group III and group IV. Also, with the increase of vacuolarization and atrophy in the hepatopancreas, the water content and the percentages of highly unsaturated fatty acids (20:5n3, 20:4n6 and 22:6n3) increased significantly. These results suggest that hepatopancreatic necrosis is closely related to the HSI, histology and biochemical composition in the hepatopancreas, which might become important indicators for the prediction of hepatopancreatic albinism and necrosis in E. sinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Properties of shrimp oil/soybean oil (30:70)‐in‐water emulsion stabilized using fish myofibrillar protein (FMP) at different concentrations (15, 30, and 45 mg mL−1) are investigated. When FMP concentration increases, emulsion activity index decreases (p < 0.05). Conversely, emulsion stability index, adsorbed protein, and interfacial protein contents are augmented (p < 0.05). During storage of 15 days, emulsion added with FMP at 45 mg mL−1 (FMP‐45) has the highest turbidity, zeta potential, viscosity, and viscoelastic properties (G′ and G″) than the others (p < 0.05). Emulsions show shear‐thinning and non‐Newtonian behavior. The emulsion added with FMP at 15 and 30 mg mL−1 (FMP‐15 and FMP‐30, respectively) has dominant viscous properties (G′ < G″), whereas FMP‐45 shows elastic gel‐like behavior (G′ > G″) (p < 0.05). Lower droplet size (d32 and d43), polydispersity index (PDI), flocculation (Fi), and coalescence (Ci) are observe in FMP‐45 (p < 0.05). Microstructure reveals smaller droplet size and smaller increase in droplet size of FMP‐45 after storage. Overall, all emulsions remain stable with no obvious phase separation throughout the storage. Confocal laser scanning microscopic images show that increase in FMP concentration can yield monodisperse emulsion. Therefore, fish myofibrillar protein exhibits excellent emulsifying property and stability for shrimp/soybean oils‐in‐water emulsion. Practical Applications: Oil from shrimp hepatopancreas, a byproduct from hepatopancreas free whole shrimp, is well known for their health benefits. It can be used to produce functional food emulsion such as mayonnaise. The use of fish myofibrillar protein is proven to be a potential emulsifier, which can improve emulsifying properties. The obtained emulsion is stable without no phase separation during the extended storage. This finding can be beneficial for food industries to produce food emulsion rich in high quality protein and polyunsaturated fatty acid. Also, hepatopancreas can be fully exploited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litopenaeus vannamei (L. vannamei) is the most economically valuable cultured shrimp in the world, while Gram-negative bacteria infection causes huge economic losses to shrimp culture. In this study, we performed transcriptome sequencing of the hepatopancreas in L. vannamei after lipopolysaccharide (LPS, the cell wall component of Gram-negative bacteria) injection to investigate the response of shrimp under Gram-negative bacteria invasion. A total of 306 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) (70 up- and 236 down-regulated) were identified in the LPS treatment group (L group) when compared to their expression levels in the control group (C group). The oxidoreductase activity (GO:0016491) in the molecular function category was enriched in the LPS-responsive DEGs in GO annotation, and the metabolism of xenobiotics by cytochrome P450 (ko00980) was the most enriched pathway in KEGG annotation. The transcriptome profiling revealed that the toll like receptor, C-type lectin receptor, and β-1,3-glucan binding protein were involved in the recognition of LPS during its early invasion stage. Although LPS could reduce the metabolic ability of exogenous substances, induce inflammation and reduce antioxidant capacity, L. vannamei could maintain its homeostasis by improving immunity, enhancing anti-stress ability and reducing apoptosis. Our research provides the first transcriptome profiling for the L. vannamei hepatopancreas after LPS injection. These results could offer a valuable reference on the mechanism of shrimp against Gram-negative bacteria and could provide guidance for shrimp farming. • The first transcriptome profiling for the L. vannamei hepatopancreas after LPS challenge. • The TLR, CLR, and LGBP were involved in the recognition of LPS during early invasion stage in L. vannamei. • Shrimp could cope with LPS challenge by improving immunity and stress resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]