Does Dietary Vitamin E Improve Efficiency of Selenium Nanoparticles on Reproductive Performance in Marine Fish? Using Arabian Yellowfin Seabream (Acanthopagrus arabicus) Female Brooder as an Experimental Model.

A 90-day research was carried out to examine the synergistic effects of dietary selenium nanoparticles (SeNs) and vitamin E (Vit E) on the reproduction of female Arabian yellowfin seabream (Acanthopagrus arabicus) female brooders (224.9 ± 8.7 g). Seven isoproteic (~500 g/kg) and isolipidic (~150 g/kg) plant protein-rich (60% of fishmeal [FM] replaced with plant protein sources [PPSs]) diets were formulated as follows: (1) control (without SeN and Vit E supplementation), (2) Se+1 (supplemented with 1 mg/kg SeN), (3) Se+1E+100 (supplemented with 1 mg/kg SeN + 100 mg/kg Vit E), (4) Se+1E+250 (supplemented with 1 mg/kg SeN + 250 mg/kg Vit E), (5) Se+2 (supplemented with 2 mg/kg SeN), (6) Se+2E+100 (supplemented with 2 mg/kg SeN + 100 mg/kg Vit E), and (7) Se+2E+250 (supplemented with 2 mg/kg SeN + 250 mg/kg Vit E). Two hundred and ninety-four brooders were stocked into 21 containers (1.5 m3) and subjected to the dietary treatments for 90 days. Disinfected seawater (temperature: 20 ± 1.2°C, salinity: 40.2 ± 0.22 g/L) was used in a flow-through system. The highest (60.2% ± 3.2%) and lowest (37.57% ± 5.2%) fertilization rate percentages were in Se+2E+250 and control groups, respectively (p < 0.05). The lowest hatching rate was in control (55.0% ± 3.6%) and the highest values were in Se+2 (73.0% ± 2.0%), Se+2E+100 (70.5% ± 2.5%), and Se+2E+250 (67.1% ± 5.6%) groups. The control group had higher abnormal embryogenesis percentage (13.8% ± 1.9%) than the other groups. Selenium concentration in the liver, ovaries, eggs and 3 days post hatch (3DPH) larvae of fish fed Se+2, Se+2E+100 and Se+2E+250 was higher than the other treatments. Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity increased in the liver and ovaries of brooders fed diets supplemented with SeN or in combination with Vit E. Interestingly, TAC significantly increased in the 3DPH larvae by increasing GPx activity, meanwhile catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) level decreased (p < 0.05). Based on these findings, supplementing plant protein-rich diets with SeN at 2 mg/kg or in combination with 100-250 mg/kg Vit E recommended to promote reproductive performance and antioxidant capacity in A. arabicus female brooders.