Effect of dietary kefir on the digestive and liver enzymes activities and glucose level of Coruh trout Salmo coruhensis Actinopterygii Salmoniformes Salmonidae.

The probiotics are very important for aquaculture because of their role in enhancing the fish health status, improving disease resistance, growth performance, and body composition, reducing malformations, improving gut morphology and the overall microbial balance. The objective of the presently reported study was to investigate effects of kefir as a probiotic product on the digestive and hepatic enzyme activities, as well as glucose level of Coruh trout, Salmo coruhensis Turan, Kottelat et Engin, 2010. The experiment was performed with four treatments: control group (no kefir), D1, D2, and D3 (kefir-supplemented diet: 10, 20, and 40 g . kg(-1) fish body mass, respectively). The activity of: alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotranferase (AST), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), lipase, amylase-as well as the glucose levels were determined after 4 months. The results indicated that glucose levels (P 0.05). On the contrary, the activity of liver enzymes (ALT, AST, and LDH) increased insignificantly (P > 0.05). In conclusion, digestive and liver enzyme activities were affected by quantitative changes in dietary kefir insignificantly but further research is needed to establish whether the liver and digestive enzyme physiology of Coruh trout can be affected by kefir-supplemented diets in a long-term trial

Influence of Alpha and Gamma-Iron Oxide Nanoparticles on Marine Microalgae Species

The effects of alpha-iron oxide (α-Fe(2)O(3)) and gamma-iron oxide (γ-Fe(2)O(3)) nanoparticles (NPs) on marine microalgae species (Nannochloropsis sp. and Isochrysis sp.) were investigated in this study. Both Fe(2)O(3) NPs covered the surface of algae with the agglomerates of the nanoparticles. This form of physical NP toxicity significantly decreased the sizes of phytoplankton. Both NPs were toxic to the tested algal species, while α-Fe(2)O(3) showed less toxicity than γ-Fe(2)O(3) NPs for both algal species. A comparative analysis of growth data of the two algal species treated with α-Fe(2)O(3) or γ-Fe(2)O(3) NPs revealed that Isochrysis sp. are more sensitive than Nannochloropsis sp. Toxicity of these widely used NPs to primary producers forming the base of the food chain in aquatic environments might result in widespread adverse effects on aquatic environmental health