Effects of nucleotide supplementation on intestinal integrity of tambaquis (Colossoma macropomum) fed plant-based diets: an integrative histopathological approach

• Grant number: 25/11051-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: August 31, 2025
• End date: November 29, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Animal Husbandry - Animal Nutrition and Feeding
• Principal Investigator: Leonardo Susumu Takahashi
• Grantee: Maria Karolaine Moriman Delgado
• Supervisor: Ana Isabel Santos Couto
• Host Institution: Centro de Aquicultura (CAUNESP). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Jaboticabal. Jaboticabal , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigação Marinha e Ambiental (CIIMAR), Portugal
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/15957-8 - Productive and economic viability of the inclusion of nucleotides in diets based on plant ingredients for tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), BP.DR

Abstract

The increasing adoption of plant-based diets in aquaculture aims at greater sustainability, but may compromise the intestinal health of fish due to the presence of antinutritional factors. Studies report the occurrence of enteritis in carnivorous, omnivorous and even herbivorous species fed these diets. In the case of tambaqui, a native species of economic importance, there is still a lack of data on the histological effects of these formulations. Therefore, dietary nucleotides (NT) emerge as a promising alternative because they contribute to the maintenance of intestinal integrity. Although there are reports of improvement in morphological parameters with NT supplementation in omnivorous fish, studies evaluating its effects in combination with plant-based diets are rare, especially regarding indicators of enteritis. In addition, the methodologies described in the literature for histological evaluation are often vague and non-standardized, which limits reproducibility and comparison between studies. In this context, it is justified to carry out a research internship at an international institution with expertise in the area, aiming at the technical improvement of histopathological analyses and the qualification of the data obtained in the project.