Hesperidin and raffinose dietary supplementation enhances immune responses, antioxidant-related gene expression, hematological parameters, and growth performance in juvenile common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Abstract

This study evaluated the individual and combined effects of two dietary immunomodulators, raffinose and hesperidin, on multiple physiological parameters in common carp (Cyprinus carpio), including growth performance, feed efficiency, hematological indices, serum immunological markers, and the expression of genes related to antioxidant capacity. Fish with an initial weight of 33.94 ± 1.45 g were fed the following experimental diets for 56 days: control (without supplementation, T1), 2.0 g kg−1 raffinose (T2), 150 mg kg−1 hesperidin (T3), and 2.0 g kg−1 raffinose + 150 mg kg−1 hesperidin (T4). At the end of the trial, common carp from the T4 and T1 groups displayed the highest (29.1 ± 0.83 g) and the lowest (18.7 ± 1.06 g) body weight gain values, respectively. The highest growth performance, feed efficiency, total leukocyte counts, the nonspecific humoral (lysozyme, total immunoglobulin, total protein, ACH50, antioxidant status related genes), and cellular (phagocytic capacity and respiratory burst activity) responses and other hematological parameters were found in fish from the T4 group (p < 0.05). Feeding common carp with diets supplemented with raffinose and hesperidin (single or in combination) significantly increased the expression of antioxidative stress enzymes (cat, gpx, sod) in the liver, changes that were coupled to a decrease in malondialdehyde levels in serum (p < 0.05). These findings suggest that supplementing common carp diets with 2.0 g kg−1 raffinose and 150 mg kg−1 hesperidin (T4) effectively improved growth performance and immune response and reduced oxidative stress.