Anaesthetic effects of eugenol on preservation and transportation of yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco)

• Published in: Aquaculture research Vol. 52; no. 8; pp. 3796 - 3803
• Main Authors: Xu, Jian‐he, Liu, Yi, Zhou, Xin‐wei, Ding, Hao‐tian, Dong, Xiu‐jin, Qu, Le‐tian, Xia, Teng, Chen, Xiang‐ning, Cheng, Han‐liang, Ding, Zhu‐jin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Hindawi Limited 01.08.2021
• Subjects: Ammonia; Anaesthesia; Anesthesia; application; Catfish; Cortisol; effective concentration; Eugenol; Fish; Freshwater fishes; Gene expression; Hormones; Hsp70 protein; Hsp90 protein; Lysozyme; Pelteobagrus fulvidraco; Recovery; Recovery time; stress; Survival; Transportation
• ISSN: 1355-557X; 1365-2109
• DOI: 10.1111/are.15225

This study evaluated the anaesthetic and sedative effects of eugenol applied on yellow catfish (Pelteobagrus fulvidraco). In the anaesthesia induction and recovery experiment, fish were treated with five concentrations of eugenol (0, 15, 20, 25 and 30 mg/L), respectively, and in the transportation experiment, fish treated with 10 mg/L eugenol were evaluated after 12 h simulated transportation. Induction and recovery time were recorded. The induction time shortened with the increasing eugenol concentration, whereas the recovery time prolonged with the increasing eugenol concentration. The effective concentration of eugenol for short‐term anaesthesia induction was between 25 and 30 mg/L. The post‐transportation survival rate of yellow catfish was 100%. The content of ammonia nitrogen in the eugenol group was lower (p < 0.05). Compared with the control group, yellow catfish in the anaesthetized transportation group showed a significant decrease in blood cortisol levels (p < 0.05), whereas the levels of glucose and lysozyme significantly increased (p < 0.05). Both hsp70 and hsp90 mRNA expression in the liver of anaesthetized yellow catfish were found to significantly upregulate after transportation (p < 0.05). In summary, eugenol was an effective anaesthetic for yellow catfish. For short‐term anaesthesia, the recommended concentration is 25–30 mg/L and for long‐time transportation, the appropriate concentration is 10 mg/L in order to reduce stress response of fish.