R. Bras. Zootec.13/May/2025;54:e20240167.
Morpho-adaptive and antioxidant response of silver catfish naturally infected by Aeromonas hydrophila fed diets with Cymbopogon flexuosus essential oil nanoemulsion
José Francisco Valério Júnior
, Cristian Camilo Suarez-Barazeta
, Isabela Andres Finamor
, Maria Amália Pavanato
, Samantha Nunes de Godoi
, Aline Ferreira Ourique
, Juliana Felipetto Cargnelutti
, Roger Wagner
, Marcelo Leite da Veiga
, Bernardo Baldisserotto
, Sílvio Teixeira da Costa
ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the dietary supplementation of Cymbopogon flexuosus essential oil (CFEO) nanoemulsion in the cutaneous and branchial morpho-adaptive response and its antioxidant potential for silver catfish juveniles naturally infected by Aeromonas hydrophila. Four hundred silver catfish juveniles were randomly distributed in a water recirculation system and fed diets supplemented with CFEO nanoemulsion at concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mL/kg of diet for 25 days. At the end of the experiment, skin, liver, and gill samples were collected for morphometric and oxidative status analyses. Our results showed that the highest concentrations of CFEO nanoemulsion (1.0 and 2.0 mL/kg) did not exert a structural preservation effect on the gill and cutaneous morphometry of animals naturally infected by A. hydrophila. However, the supplementation of 0.5 mL/kg of CFEO nanoemulsion demonstrated an antioxidant effect on their gills. In addition, dietary supplementation with CFEO nanoemulsion protected the liver of silver catfish against liver damage. Thus, due to these beneficial effects, CFEO nanoemulsion shows promising use in aquaculture.
Keywords: fish; food additive; oxidative stress; skin and gill morphometry