Immuno-physiological and antioxidant responses of Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) fed with different levels of olive pomace

Nowadays, use of the natural plant derivatives as an immunostimulant in aquaculture is becoming more useful than antibiotics which are destructive to target animals, consumers, and the environment. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of dietary substitution of wheat flour at 2, 5, 7.5, and 10% of olive pomace (OP2, OP5, OP7.5, and OP10) in some immune-physiological and antioxidant variables of yearling Siberian sturgeon (Acipenser baerii) weighing 165 +/- 6.8 g at 19.1 +/- 1.52 degrees C for 56 days. Fifteen fish per tank were randomly accommodated in triplicates per treatment and the control group was also included. No significant difference was seen in hematological indices including red blood cells (RBS) and immunocompetent cell population sizes among the treated groups (P > 0.05). Also, malondialdehyde (MDA) activity and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in serum remained unaffected in different treatments (P > 0.05). Total protein (TP), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), catalase (CT), and lysozyme were affected by dietary OP levels (P < 0.05), and the highest value was observed at the OP5 diet, but no influence was seen in serum IgM by OP. These data show that application of olive pomace as a partial substitute of wheat flour in the diet of Siberian sturgeon is feasible with stimulatory and antioxidant functions.