On the issue of Australian crayfish cultivation in ponds to ensure sustainable aquaculture development

The authors of this article describe the experience of biotechnology for growing Australian crayfish in conditions of pond cultivation in a group of ponds, operating in an intensive mode, used in an isolated area close by a natural water source in the Astrakhan region. In the presented article, research is aimed to clarify the main biotechnological indicators that increase the efficiency of cultivation in pond conditions. The conditions of transportation, the duration of transportation, and the density of crayfish in ponds with an area of 1 hectare have been clarified. The presented food recipe with the specification of the percentage of nutrients as additional feeding, organized when growing in ponds according to the food recipe itself, increases not only the growth rate but also the hemolymph protein concentration, which indirectly proves the satisfactory conditions for keeping aquaculture objects. Monitoring for the biotechnology of growing Australian crayfish in pond conditions: own developed food recipe, biological and physiological testing of key indicators such as hydrochemical indicators of water, hydrobiological indicators of the concentration of, and physiological indicators for determining the so-called biotechnological norm, which will add additional missing information on this aquaculture object.

Effect of Protein Supplementation in the Bee Apis mellifera L. Exposed to the Agrochemical Fipronil

Inadequate quantity and quality of proteins in honey bee diet can cause weakening of their colonies and damage their resistance to agrochemical contamination, such as fipronil, which is highly toxic to bees. Thus, we tested the hypothesis if protein supplementation would improve longevity and locomotion of honeybees exposed to fipronil pesticide. Colonies of Apis mellifera Africanized were distributed into Control Group without protein supplementation and Supplemented Group with 25% crude protein provided as a paste form at 100 g per week. After four weeks, frames with sealed brood were removed and kept in an incubator until the emergence of worker bees, which were marked, returned to their hives and recaptured six days later to measure protein concentration in the hemolymph. The bee population development was measured by evaluating frames containing the queen’s oviposition from each colony. Also, nursing bees were recaptured exposed by contact to fipronil LD50% (0.009 ± 0.003 μg/bee), and the longevity and motor activity were measured. The results showed that the bee swarms protein supplementation promoted a significant increase in the sealed brood area. However, it did not promote changes in the protein content of the hemolymph. Protein supplementation of bee swarms did not influence the survival of bees exposed to fipronil in the locomotion tests; however, fipronil was toxic to bees and promoted changes in the locomotion of bees.

Fermentation of a Pollen Substitute Diet with Beebread Microorganisms Increases Diet Consumption and Hemolymph Protein Levels of Honey Bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae)

Pollen substitute diets have become increasingly important for maintaining strong and healthy honey bee colonies. Palatability and nutritional value are key attributes of a good diet. Since beebread, which is pollen fermented by the bees, is the main food of the worker nurse bees that feed and care for the bee larvae, pollen substitutes should have similar attributes. In an attempt to simulate this natural food source, an inoculum prepared from beebread was used to ferment a pollen-substitute diet. Newly emerged bees were fed on the diets for seven days. They consumed significantly more fermented than unfermented diet. Hemolymph protein levels were significantly higher in bees that had been fed a fermented versus an unfermented diet, though still significantly lower than in bees fed on beebread. Vitellogenin (a key storage protein for honey bees) levels were also increased significantly in bees fed the fermented versus the non-fermented diet. Survival rates were higher for bees fed the fermented versus the non-fermented diet, though the difference was not significant. We conclude that fermentation by beebread-derived microorganisms can improve the acceptance and utility of an artificial protein diet for honey bees.

Comparative Hemolymph Proteomic and Enzymatic Analyses of Two Strains of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus Ticks Resistant and Susceptible to Ixodicides

The cattle tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus is one of the most harmful ectoparasites affecting bovines worldwide. It represents a major threat to livestock industry due to the economic losses caused and diseases associated with these ticks. The most important tick control strategy has been the use of ixodicides, resulting in chemically resistant tick populations. It is necessary to understand the mechanisms that result in resistance so as to create new strategies increasing the lifespan of ixodicides or finding alternative targets to produce new acaricides. In this paper, in order to obtain an insight into the mechanisms that govern ixodicides resistance, we will compare the hemolymph proteome of two tick R. microplus strains, one susceptible (MJ) and one resistant (SA) to ixodicides, using HPLC and 2D electrophoresis. Significant differences were found in protein content between strains using HPLC. 2D electrophoresis revealed that 68 hemolymph protein spots were common between strains; however, 26 spots were unique to the susceptible strain MJ and 5 to the resistant strain SA. The most distinctive protein spots on the preparative gels were selected for further analyses. Nine protein spots were identified by mass fingerprinting, revealing proteins that may have a role in the ixodicides resistance or susceptibility. In this paper, we present the tick hemolymph proteome revealing a set of proteins which suggest a possible role in tick detoxification.