Dietary peppermint (Mentha piperita) powder affects growth performance, hematological indices, skin mucosal immune parameters, and expression of growth and stress-related genes in Caspian roach (Rutilus caspicus).
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the effects of peppermint powder as a feed additive on growth performance, immune parameters, and gene expression in Caspian roach.
Results Summary
Peppermint supplementation significantly improved growth parameters, reduced food conversion ratio, enhanced hematological indices, and boosted immune responses, including increased enzyme activity and gene expression of IGF, GH, and HSP70. The highest effects were observed at 4 g/kg peppermint.
Population
Caspian roach (Rutilus caspicus) fingerlings (average weight 2.40 ± 0.12 g).
Effective Dosage
0 (control), 2, 3, and 4 g/kg peppermint in feed.
Duration
8 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
peppermint powder as a feed additive | increase | growth parameters | Caspian roach (Rutilus caspicus) fingerlings | - | significantly enhanced | #1 |
peppermint powder as a feed additive | decrease | food conversion ratio | Caspian roach (Rutilus caspicus) fingerlings | - | decreased | #2 |
peppermint-supplemented diets | neutral | hematological indices | fish | - | were significantly different | #3 |
increasing the peppermint levels in the diet | increase | soluble protein, alkaline phosphatase, and lysozyme enzyme activity in mucus samples | - | - | showed an incremental trend | #4 |
peppermint-supplemented diets | neutral | protein profile | - | - | indicated a remarkable difference | #5 |
diet containing 4 g/kg peppermint | neutral | a new protein band (approximately 27 kDa) in the skin mucus | fish | - | was found | #6 |
diet containing 4 g/kg peppermint | increase | protein band density | - | - | the highest band density was observed | #7 |
4 g/kg peppermint treatment | increase | IGF and GH gene expression | - | - | the highest ... were observed | #8 |
peppermint powder | neutral | HSP70 expression | fish | - | significant difference | #9 |
dietary oral administration of peppermint at 4 g/kg of feed | neutral | growth promoter and immunostimulant | - | - | can act as | #10 |
Peppermint is a popular herbal medicine due to its several pharmaceutical applications. In this study, peppermint powder was used as a feed additive to evaluate growth performance, hematological parameters, protein profile of skin mucus, and immune parameters, as well as growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), and 70 kDa heat shock protein (HSP70) gene expression in Caspian roach (Rutilus caspicus). The fingerlings (average weight of 2.40 ± 0.12 g) were fed with diet containing 0 (control), 2, 3, and 4 g/kg peppermint for 8 weeks. The addition of peppermint significantly enhanced the growth parameters and decreased the food conversion ratio. Hematological indices of fish fed with peppermint-supplemented diets were significantly different from the control group (P < 0.05). Soluble protein, alkaline phosphatase, and lysozyme enzyme activity in mucus samples showed an incremental trend by increasing the peppermint levels in the diet. Evaluation of mucosal immunity indicated a remarkable difference between the protein profile in treatments fed with peppermint-supplemented diets and the control group. A new protein band (approximately 27 kDa) was also found in the skin mucus of fish fed with the diet containing 4 g/kg peppermint, and the highest band density was observed in this treatment. The highest IGF and GH gene expression were observed in 4 g/kg peppermint treatment. There was a significant difference in HSP70 expression between the fish fed with peppermint powder and the control group (P < 0.05). Overall, the results showed that dietary oral administration of peppermint at 4 g/kg of feed can act as a growth promoter and immunostimulant.