Analysis of Immunosuppression and Antioxidant Damage in Diploid and Triploid Crucian Carp (Carassius auratus) Induced by Saline-Alkaline Environmental Stress: From Metabolomic Insight

Objectives: The salinization of the water environment worldwide is increasing, which has brought great challenges to the sustainability of fish farming of aquatic animals. Methods: Three NaHCO₃ concentration groups (0 mmol/L, 20 mmol/L, and 60 mmol/L) were set up in this study to investigate growth and metabolic differences between diploid and triploid crucian carp under saline-alkaline stresses. Purpose: This study utilized UPLC-QTOF/MS metabolomics to analyze significant metabolites and metabolic pathways in the serum of diploid and triploid crucian carp, exposing them to different NaHCO₃ concentrations in saline-alkaline habitats, elucidating the mechanism of their metabolic differences. Results: Results revealed that in the CA20 group, diploid and triploid crucian carp shared 69 differential metabolites, primarily enriched in pathways such as sphingolipid metabolism, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and linoleic acid metabolism. In the CA60 group, 46 differentially metabolites (DMs) were identified, mainly enriched in pathways such as linoleic acid metabolism, unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and sphingolipid metabolism. Conclusions: The analysis indicated that under different carbonate-saline-alkaline concentrations, diploid and triploid crucian carp primarily enriched in metabolic pathways such as glycerophospholipid metabolism, sphingolipid metabolism, and unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. With increasing carbonate-alkaline concentrations, hemolytic phospholipids associated with cell apoptosis were significantly upregulated and sphingolipid metabolism related to inflammation was more significantly enriched in triploid crucian carp, indicating that triploid crucian carp exhibited significant sensitivity to high carbonate-saline-alkaline stress and poorer carbonate-saline-alkaline tolerance. The results of this study provided a scientific theoretical basis for the later cultivation and aquaculture research of saline-alkaline-tolerant fish species.