Maternal supplementation of nano-selenium in a plant-based diet improves antioxidant competence of female Arabian yellowfin sea bream (Acanthopagrus arabicus) breeders and their progeny

Antioxidants such as selenium (Se) play vital roles in reproduction success and larval development in fish. A three-month feeding experiment was conducted to examine the impact of enriching a plant-based diet (60% of fishmeal was substituted with a blend of plant ingredients) with nano-selenium (nano-Se) on antioxidant metabolism in female brooders and the progeny of Arabian yellowfin sea bream (Acanthopagrus arabicus). At this point, the plant-based diet was supplemented with graded levels of nano-Se at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 mg/Kg diet. Moreover, a fishmeal-based diet served as a positive control (FMD-Control). Broodfish were randomly distributed into eighteen 10 m3 rectangular concrete tanks (8 males and 8 females in each tank). Each experimental diet was subjected to three replications. Selenium retention increased in the serum, liver, ovary, eggs, and three-day larvae with increasing dietary nano-Se levels (P