Effects of dietary chromium on growth, amino acid content and proteomic changes in Sea Cucumber Apostichopus japonicus

Abstract

To assess the effect of dietary chromium, the growth rate, amino acid content and proteomic changes in the sea cucumber <em>Apostichopus japonicus</em> were compared<em>,</em> when fed with the diets amended with chromium-treated (58.27 mg Cr/kg dry weight) <em>Macrocystis pyrifera </em>and a Cr-free control diet (5.83 mg Cr/kg dry weight). After 10 days, the dietary chromium exposure decreased its growth rate and the amino acid content also changed. The proteomic changes were analyzed in <em>A</em><em>.</em><em> japonicus </em>after it was fed for 10 days with Cr-added and Cr-free control diet. The total of 1587 proteins were identified, of which 28 proteins were identified as differentially regulated proteins in sea cucumber to Cr stress. Among them, 10 proteins were identified. In summary, this work reported toxic effects in sea cucumber <em>A. japonicus</em> after dietary exposure to Cr.