EFFECTS OF DIETARY ISOFLAVONE-GENISTEIN ON THE HAEMATOLOGY AND IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSES IN JUVENILE Heterobranchus longifilis CATFISH CHALLENGED WITH Cytophaga columnaris

Adeyemo, B.T1*; Solomon, G.S; Tiamiyu, L.O; Alawa, C.B.I; Ikongbeh, O.A; Imgbian, .D; Musa, S.
1.  Department of Animal Health and Production, Faculty of  
Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Pmb 177 Abuja, Nigeria.
* Corresponding author email: bolade.adeyemo@uniabuja.edu.ng
 

We investigated the dietary effects of isoflavone-genistein on hematological and immunological parameters in juvenile Heterobranchus longifilis catfish experimentally challenged with Cytophaga columnaris in a 56 days feeding period.

Five isonitrogenous (42.1% crude protein) and isoenergetic (19.5 kj. g-1) diets were formulated to contain four graded levels of isoflavone-genistein, namely 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8 and 1.6 g kg-1 diet. Fish (initial average weight: 150.5 ± 1.5 kg) were stocked in tanks in groups of 30 and fed the experimental diets in triplicate. At set time intervals (days 0, 7, 21, 42 and day 56) four fish were randomly sampled from each tank for haematological and immunological assays (total erythrocytes counts, total leucocytes counts, haematocrit, haemoglobin concentration, erythrocytic indices, differential leucocytes counts, serum lysozyme activity, total immunoglobulin (IgM) and complement activities).

Results shows that mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and values of neutrophils were significantly different between treatments. The activities of serum lysozyme, IgM, C3 and C4 were significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by the dietary isoflavone-genistein concentrations. Results indicated that isoflavone-genistein had significant positive effects on some haematological and immunological parameters in juvenile H. longifilis catfish experimentally challenges with Cytophaga collumnaris.

Keywords:       Dietary, Isoflavone-genistein, Non-specific immunity, Haematology, Heterobranchus longifilis, Catfish