Characterization of microbiota and histology of cultured sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus juveniles during an outbreak of skin ulceration syndrome.

Due to the dramatic reduction of sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus populations in the Yucatan Peninsula by overfishing and poaching, aquaculture has been encouraged as an alternative to commercial catching and restoring wild populations. However, the scarcity of broodstock, the emergence of a new disease in the auricularia larvae stage, and the development of skin ulceration syndrome (SUS) in the culture have limited aquaculture development. This study presents the changes in the intestine and skin microbiota observed in early and advanced stages of SUS disease in cultured juvenile I.

The digestive tract sections of the sea cucumber Isostichopus badionotus reveal differences in composition, diversity, and functionality of the gut microbiota.

For the first time, this study analyses the composition and diversity of the gut microbiota of Isostichopus badionotus in captivity, using high-throughput 16S rRNA sequencing, and predicts the metagenomic functions of the microbiota. The results revealed a different composition of the gut microbiota for the foregut (FG) and midgut (MG) compared to the hindgut (HG), with a predominance of Proteobacteria, followed by Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. The FG and MG demonstrated a greater bacterial diversity compared to the HG.

Comparative Transcriptomes of the Body Wall of Wild and Farmed Sea Cucumber .

Overfishing of sea cucumber from Yucatan has led to a major population decline. They are being captured as an alternative to traditional species despite a paucity of information about their health-promoting properties. The transcriptome of the body wall of wild and farmed has now been studied for the first time by an RNA-Seq approach.

A Glycosaminoglycan-Rich Fraction from Sea Cucumber Has Potent Anti-Inflammatory Properties In Vitro and In Vivo.

Sea cucumber body wall contains several naturally occurring bioactive components that possess health-promoting properties. from Yucatan, Mexico is heavily fished, but little is known about its bioactive constituents. We previously established that meal had potent anti-inflammatory properties in vivo.

Evaluation of two independent protocols for the extraction of DNA and RNA from different tissues of sea cucumber .

is a sea cucumber species of great ecological and economic relevance for Mexico and Central American and Caribbean countries; however, the protocols for the extraction of the nucleic acids have not yet been published. In this study, we describe the first protocols to obtain DNA and RNA from different tissues of which include the respiratory tree, gonad, longitudinal muscle bands, anterior intestine and cloaca. The extraction of high-quality DNA was performed using the DNeasy Blood & Tissue kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA) with minor modifications in different points of the protocol.

Partial characterization of digestive proteases in tropical gar Atractosteus tropicus juveniles.

Tropical gar (Atractosteus tropicus) is an economically and socially important freshwater species from Southeastern Mexico, with a high aquaculture potential. With this in mind, the purpose of this study was to characterize the digestive proteases of tropical gar juveniles through biochemical and electrophoretic analyses. Twenty specimens with an average weight of 73.

Diets containing sea cucumber (Isostichopus badionotus) meals are hypocholesterolemic in young rats.

Sea cucumber is widely consumed as a putative functional food. It contains many biologically-active substances, but only limited research on its properties in vivo has been done. The effects of different meals containing Isostichopus badionotus, a sea cucumber from southeast Mexico, on growth performance and body lipid profile in young rats were analyzed.

Ballast water as a vector of coral pathogens in the Gulf of Mexico: the case of the Cayo Arcas coral reef.

The discharge of nutrients, phytoplankton and pathogenic bacteria through ballast water may threaten the Cayo Arcas reef system. To assess this threat, the quality of ballast water and presence of coral reef pathogenic bacteria in 30 oil tankers loaded at the PEMEX Cayo Arcas crude oil terminal were determined. The water transported in the ships originated from coastal, oceanic or riverine regions.

Nutritional and physiological responses of young growing rats to diets containing raw cowpea seed meal, protein isolate (globulins), or starch.

The nutritional and physiological effects of raw cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L) Walp.) seed meal, protein isolate (globulins), or starch on the metabolism of young growing rats have been evaluated in 14-day trials. Wet and dry weight gain, feed conversion efficiency, and lipid and protein accretion were significantly reduced as a result of inclusion of seed meal, globulins, or starch in the diet, with growth retardation being most marked with the seed meal.