Effects of dietary thiamin (vitamin B1) on the growth performances, serum biochemistry factors, immune response, and antioxidant activity of great sturgeon (Huso huso) juveniles

The present research evaluated the effects of dietary thiamin (vitamin B1) levels on the growth performances, serum biochemistry factors, immune response, and antioxidant activity of great sturgeon ( Huso huso ) juveniles. Thiamin was included in diets with levels of 0 (T0), 7 (T7), 15 (T15) and 25 (T25) mg/kg diet. Sturgeon juveniles (156 individuals) with average weight of 44.8 ± 1.96 g were distributed into 12 tanks, and fed with the experimental diets for 8 weeks. The dietary thiamin levels significantly enhanced the growth parameters including final weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed efficiency, and the optimum thiamin level was obtained in T15. A significant difference was observed between the treatments in the activity levels of trypsin, chymotrypsin, creatine kinase, lipase, amylase and alkaline phosphatase. The amount of glucose was not significantly different between the experimental treatments. Triglyceride, cholesterol, and total protein levels were significantly higher in the thiamin-fed treatments than in the control group. A significant decrease in the activity of aminotransferase aspartate and alanine aminotransferase enzymes was observed by increasing dietary thiamin level. Serum antioxidant enzymes were significantly higher in the thiamin treated fish than in the control group. Serum malondialdehyde was affected by dietary thiamin and was significantly lower in the treatments fed with thiamin than in the control fish group. Total immunoglobulin, lysozyme, and ACH50 values were significantly higher in fish fed with thiamin-supplemented diets than in the control group. The results of the present study demonstrated that the optimal level of thiamin is 19.72–25.28 mg/kg diet based on weight gain, specific growth rate, and hepatic thiamin content.