Dietary selenium supplementation alleviates low salinity stress in the Pacific white shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei: growth, antioxidative capacity and hepatopancreas transcriptomic responses


 Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element associated with animal growth and antioxidant and metabolic processes. However, whether Se, especially organic Se with higher bioavailability, can alleviate the adverse effects of low salinity stress on marine economic crustacean species has not been investigated. Accordingly, juvenile Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) were reared in two culture conditions (low and standard salinity) fed diets supplemented with increasing levels of L-selenomethionine (0.41, 0.84 and 1.14 mg/kg Se) for 56 days, resulting in four treatments: 0.41 mg/kg under standard seawater (salinity 31) and 0.41, 0.84 and 1.14 mg/kg Se under low salinity (salinity 3). The diet containing 0.84 mg/kg Se significantly improved the survival and weight gain of shrimp under low salinity stress and enhanced the antioxidant capacity of the hepatopancreas. The increased numbers of B and R cells may be a passive change in hepatopanclear histology in the 1.14 mg/kg Se group. Transcriptomic analysis found that L-selenomethionine was involved in the regulatory pathways of energy metabolism, retinol metabolism and steroid hormones. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with 0.84 mg/kg Se (twice the recommended level) effectively alleviated the effects of low salinity stress on L. vannamei by regulating antioxidant capacity, hormone regulation and energy metabolism.