WHEAT GERM SUPPLEMENT ON REPRODUCTIVE PERFORMANCE OF FEMALE BROODSTOCK IN YELLOW CATFISH

The sustainable development of the aquaculture industry for yellow catfish (Tachysurus fulvidraco) in China has been hindered by a shortage of females and inadequate scientific feeding, as well as the shortage of raw aquatic feed materials. Studies have shown that wheat germ, which containes plant functional nutrient with antioxidant, anticancer, hypolipidemic, and gonad-development promoting effects, could be a potential feed material. This study evaluated the effects of wheat germ on the survival rate, liver antioxidant capacity, plasma physiology and biochemistry, and reproductive performance of 825 female broodstock of yellow catfish, and determined the feasibility of wheat germ as feed material by feeding different wheat germ addition 0, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% (w/w). The results showed that wheat germ could significantly improve survival rate and liver antioxidant capacity of the female broodstock (P<0.05). Wheat germ significantly improved the enzyme activity of the female broodstock (P<0.05). The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) enzyme was the highest in the 10% wheat germ addition diet, with which the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) was the lowest. The polynomial curve equation showed that the wheat germ addition of 11.57%—14.0% in the diet had the highest antioxidant activity. When the addition amount of wheat germ reached 10%, it did not significantly affect plasma glucose (GLU) (P>0.05). It caused a significant increase in the content of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) (P<0.05), and a significant decrease in the ratio of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C) (P<0.05). In conclusion, wheat germ can be a beneficial feed material for female parents of yellow catfish, particularly during the pre-spawning period with an addition amount of 10%—15% of diet quality and during the post-spawning period with an addition amount of 5%—10%. The present study provides an important foundation for further broodstock feed development and cultivation.