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Oral administration of bovine lactoferrin inhibits bacterial infection in tilapia and elevates survival after bacterial infection: an examination of its immune-modulating properties

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Abstract

It was previously reported that the oral administration of lactoferrin (LF) provides antimicrobial activity in animals against bacterial and viral infections and is involved in immunomodulatory properties. In this report, a hybrid strain of Oreochromis nilotica (male) × O. mossambicus (female) was fed homemade diets with or without supplementation with 10, 50, 100, and 150 mg bovine LF g−1 feed for 60 days. After dietary treatment, the experimental fish were infected with Streptococcus agalactiae. LF supplementation resulted in a significantly higher survival rate and suppression of bacterial growth at 24–96 h in the liver, spleen, kidneys, eyes, and gills. A reduction in peroxidase activity was followed by a similar reduction in the peroxidase content of leukocytes at 24 h as analyzed by spectrophotometry. Respiratory burst (RB) activity was detected regardless of the time at which LF was administered to fish in relation to the bacterial infection. A beneficial effect of LF on RBs was also detected before bacterial challenge (with 100 mg LF/g) and 24 h after bacterial challenge with 150 mg/g. The results obtained validate LF’s beneficial effects on RBs by phagocytes in tilapia, which was only shown at 48 h after supplementation with 100 mg bovine LF g−1 feed after the bacterial infection. Moreover, after oral administration of LF, it was detected in the mucosa of the small intestines of tilapia. In conclusion, we demonstrate a reduction in fish mortality after the oral administration of LF, and we examined its immunomodulatory properties in tilapia.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant (Enhancement of resistance to bacterial infection in Taiwan bream (Tilapia) by administration of bovine LF) from the Development Program of Industrialization for Agricultural Biotechnology (with money provided by the National Science Council, Taiwan). We appreciate Dr. Stone S.-C. Chen for providing the bacterial strain (S. agalactiae) used in these experiments as a gift.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Research Station, Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, 23-10 Dahuen Rd., Jiaushi, Ilan, 262, Taiwan

    Yi-Da Wang & Jyh-Yih Chen

  2. Institute of Fisheries Science, National Taiwan University, 1 Roosevelt Road, Sec. 4, Taipei, 106, Taiwan

    Yi-Da Wang & Jyh-Yih Chen

  3. Department of Biotechnology, Asia University, 500 Lioufeng Road, Wufeng, Taichung, 41354, Taiwan

    Hsiao-Yun Chang

  4. Department of Biotechnology, Southern Taiwan University, 1 Nan-Tai Street, Yung-Kang City, Tainan County, 710, Taiwan

    Jian-Chyi Chen

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  1. Yi-Da Wang
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  2. Hsiao-Yun Chang
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Correspondence to Jyh-Yih Chen or Jian-Chyi Chen.

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10499_2012_9537_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Survival rate following bacterial infection of tilapia with a lethal dose of Streptococcus agalactiae (SA47) (2.5 × 106 colony-forming units (cfu)/fish). Four groups of 20 tilapia each were orally treated with lactoferrin (LF) at 10, 50, 100, and 150 mg/g eel meal diet, while the control group was given the same diet but without LF. After (a) 30 and (b) 45 days of LF oral administration, all tilapia were infected with S. agalactiae (SA47). Mortality was recorded every day for 14 days. Each bar represents the mean value from triplicate tanks with the standard error (SE). Data (mean±SE) with different letters significantly differ (p < 0.05) between treatments. (PDF 28 kb)

10499_2012_9537_MOESM2_ESM.pdf

Elimination of bacteria as measured by colony-forming units (cfu)/ml in the (A) liver, (B) spleen, (C) kidneys, (D) eyes, and (E) gills of tilapia treated with lactoferrin (LF) and infected with Streptococcus agalactiae (SA47). Five groups of 20 tilapia each were orally treated with 10, 50, 100, and 150 mg LF/g eel meal diet, while the control group was given the same diet but without LF for 30 (a) and 45 days (b). All tilapia were then infected with 2.5 × 106 cfu/fish of S. agalactiae (SA47). Thereafter, tilapia were harvested at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h post-infection. Each bar represents the mean value from three sampled fish with the standard error (SE). Data (mean±SE) with different letters significantly differ (p < 0.05) between treatments. (PDF 78 kb)

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Wang, YD., Chang, HY., Chen, JY. et al. Oral administration of bovine lactoferrin inhibits bacterial infection in tilapia and elevates survival after bacterial infection: an examination of its immune-modulating properties. Aquacult Int 21, 75–96 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10499-012-9537-1

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