Effects of chitin from Daphnia similis and its derivative, chitosan on the immune response and disease resistance of white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

Ann-Chang Cheng; Ya-Li Shiu; Shieh-Tsung Chiu; Rolissa Ballantyne; Chun-Hung Liu

doi:10.1016/j.fsi.2021.10.017

Effects of chitin from Daphnia similis and its derivative, chitosan on the immune response and disease resistance of white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

Fish Shellfish Immunol. 2021 Dec:119:329-338. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2021.10.017. Epub 2021 Oct 15.

Authors

Ann-Chang Cheng¹, Ya-Li Shiu², Shieh-Tsung Chiu², Rolissa Ballantyne³, Chun-Hung Liu⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department and Graduate Institute of Aquaculture, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, 811, Taiwan.
² Department of Aquaculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, 912, Taiwan.
³ Department of Tropical Agriculture and International Cooperation, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, 912, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Aquaculture, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, 912, Taiwan; Research Center for Animal Biologics, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology, Pingtung, 912, Taiwan. Electronic address: chliu@mail.npust.edu.tw.

PMID: 34662729
DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2021.10.017

Abstract

Daphnia similis chitin and its derivative chitosan were prepared as immunostimulants to boost the immune response and determine the ability to control infectious disease caused by Vibrio alginolyticus in white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Three experimental diets supplemented with 0% chitin or chitosan (control) and 0.4% chitin or 0.4% chitosan were fed to shrimp for 56 days. Dietary inclusion of 0.4% chitosan accelerated shrimp growth compared to chitin and control. The survival and disease resistance of shrimp increased significantly when fed chitin and chitosan diets, after pathogenic injection, as indicated by the up-regulated immune responses in respiratory burst (RB), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and phagocytic activity (PA). There were no significant differences in the total haemocyte count (THC), phenoloxidase (PO)activity, and lysozyme (LYZ) activity among the groups. No significant differences were observed for prophenoloxidase system-related gene expressions among groups. However, shrimp fed chitin, and chitosan expressed significantly higher levels of antimicrobial proteins (penaeidin 3a, crustin, and anti-lipopolysaccharide factor 2) in the haemocytes than in control. The gene expressions of catalase and heat shock protein 70 increased in the hepatopancreas of shrimp fed chitosan diet compared to the chitin and control diet. The O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (ogt) was significantly higher in the haemocytes of shrimp fed chitosan and chitin than the control, but ogt was only significantly higher in the hepatopancreas of shrimp fed chitosan. Dietary chitin and chitosan also showed positive effects on the transcription of peritrophin-like protein. These findings suggest that both chitin and chitosan from D. similis are efficacious at boosting the immunity of shrimp by preventing and controlling infectious diseases caused by Vibrio and have great potential to be used as a feasible immunostimulant that significantly contributes to the circular economy.

Keywords: Chitin; Chitosan; Circular economy; Daphnia similis; Disease prevention; White shrimp.

MeSH terms

Animals
Chitin
Chitosan* / pharmacology
Daphnia
Disease Resistance
Immunity, Innate
Penaeidae* / genetics
Penaeidae* / immunology
Vibrio alginolyticus

Substances

Chitin
Chitosan