Dietary surface-modified zirconium silicate nanoparticles enhance immune response, antioxidant activity and cytokine genes expression of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei against Vibrio harveyi

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of surface-modified ZrSiO4 nanoparticles on non-specific immunity, antioxidant activity, cytokines gene expression and mortality of the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei juveniles challenged with Vibrio harveyi. Four diets were prepared to be supplemented with ZrSiO4 NPs-SDS as follows: 0, 20, 40 or 60 mg Kg‐−1 diet. These ZrSiO4 NPs-SDS supplemented diets were fed to L. vannamei juveniles (2.5 ± 0.5 g) for 50 days. The results revealed that ZrSiO4 NPs-SDS significantly increased phagocytosis, respiratory burst, lysozyme activity and alternative complement activity of L. vannamei compared with the control. The results also indicated that dietary ZrSiO4 NPs-SDS significantly improved superoxide dismutase, phenoloxidase, glutathione peroxidase activities and reduced malondialdehyde of L. vannamei compared with the control. All shrimp groups fed ZrSiO4 NPs-SDS exhibited significant up-regulation in the immune related genes (IL-1β, IL-8, IL-10, TNF-α and IFN-γ). Moreover, the supplementation of dietary ZrSiO4 NPs-SDS significantly reduced alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and mortality of L. vannamei. Thus, the inclusion of ZrSiO4 NPs-SDS in the diet improved non-specific immunity, antioxidant activity and hepatic functions of L. vannamei juveniles and enhanced their resistance to V. harveyi. The recommended level of ZrSiO4 NPs-SDS is 40 mg Kg−1 diet.