K. Tachibana, M. Yagi, K. Hara, T. Mishima, M. Tsuchimoto-1997
Hydrobiologia, 358: 313-316 (from Current Contents)
Abstract:
Japanese parrotfish (Oplegnathus fasciatus) and Spotted parrotfish(Oplegnathus punctatus) larvae were fed with beta-carotene supplemented rotifers or unsupplemented control rotifers for 24 days after hatchout. Results show that survival rates of beta-carotene supplemented groups of both Japanese parrotfish and Spatted parrotfish larvae were higher than that of control groups. Beta-carotene supplemented and unsupplemented control groups exhibited similar growth in both species during this experiment. Proliferation of spleen lymphocytes with 100 mu g/ml of ConA, 10 or 50 mu g/ml of Poke weed mitogen from beta-carotene supplemented group was higher than that of a control group of Japanese parrotfish. In Spotted parrotfish treated with 100 mu g/ml of ConA from the beta-carotene supplemented groups lymphocytes proliferated to a higher degree than in the control. Results suggest that the supplementation of beta-carotene to rotifers, might be of benefit in production of healthy, resistive larvae against infectious disease.
(Nagasaki Univ., Fac. Fisheries, Dept. Fishery Food Sci., Lab. Nutr., Nagasaki 852, Japan)