Abstract: Sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus with initial body weight of 3.89 g were stocked into 60 liter plastic tanks and fed the diets supplemented with β-carotene(groups A,B,and C)or astaxanthin(groups D,E,and F) at a dose of 30 mg/kg,60 mg/kg,and 90 mg/kg(without supplementation as control group,F)with triplication at water temperature of 11.0-20.0℃,a salinity of 35,and pH 7.5 for 80 days.The growth of the sea cucumber was monitored in a 20 day interval by specific growth rate(SGR),and total antioxidant capability(T-AOC),and activities of superoxide dismutase(SOD),and catalase(CAT)were determined at the end of the experiment to evaluate the effects of the additional β-carotene and astaxanthin on the antioxidation in the sea cucumber.There was increase in SGR in the sea cucumber fed the diets supplemented with β-carotene with the enhanced supplemental levels,6.67%higher in the 30 mg/kg group,73.33%higher in the 60 mg/kg group,and 100.0%higher in the 90 mg/kg group than that in the control group,and significantly different in group C from that in the control group (P＜0.05).The sea cucumber fed the diets supplemented with astaxanthin at a dose of 60 mg/kg and 90 mg/kg had 113.33%and 66.67%higher SGR than the sea cucumber fed the control diet did,the animals in group E having significantly higher SGR than the animals in the control group(P＜0.05).There was significant increase in T-AOC in the coelomic fluid in the sea cucumber fed the diets supplemented with β-carotene and astaxanthin with the enhanced supplemental levels(P＜0.05)except for in groups A and B.The sea cucumber fed the diets supplemented with astaxanthin(12.77 U/mL)had 45.61%higher coelomic fluid T-AOC than the sea cucumber fed the diets supplemented with β-carotene(8.77 U/mL)did,astaxanthin leading to higher antioxidation.In the activities of SOD,and CAT,however,there were significantly lower in the sea cucumber fed the diets supplemented with β-carotene and astaxanthin than those in the control(P＜0.05),without significant differences among groups A, B,D,and G.No significant differences were found in the body composition and the activities of proteinase and amylase in the treatment groups and control group(P＞0.05).
2012, Vol. 27 
