The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of Scoparia dulcis extract (SDE) on stress induced by high stocking density and Cu and trichlorfon exposure in crucian carp (Carassius auratus). The results showed that these stressors exerted detrimental effects in fish, such as inhibition of growth performance, reduced feed intake, and interruption of fish locomotion. Under high stocking density, dietary SDE supplementation increased the content of reduced glutathione (GSH) and the activities of amylase, catalase (CAT), and glutathione reductase (GR) and decreased the content of malonaldehyde (MDA) in the intestine of crucian carp. A similar trend was presented in the hepatopancreas under Cu exposure. Dietary SDE supplementation enhanced the activities of CAT, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), lactate dehydrogenase, glutamate-oxaloacetate transaminase, and glutamate-pyruvate transaminase in the muscle of crucian carp under trichlorfon exposure. The optimum dietary SDE supplementation levels were 4.07, 4.33, and 3.95 g kg-1 diet based on the recovery rate of weight gain (RWG), feed intake (FI), and inhibitory rate of rollover (IR) for crucian carp under high stocking density and Cu and trichlorfon exposure, respectively. Overall, dietary supplementation with SDE may be a useful nutritional strategy for relieving these stresses in aquatic animals.
Keywords: antioxidant status; digestive ability; feed intake; growth performance; rollover.