Studying the impact of anthocyanin extract from black rice on regenerative abilities in the zebrafish Danio rerio

Abstract

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) is becoming more widespread in all types of biomedical researches. Owing to its high regenerative potency, zebrafish can be used in human therapy as a model organism. Anthocyanins, extracted from plants, are presented as a prospective food supplementary, demonstrating anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and tumor-suppressing effects. In this study, we tested the impact of anthocyanins, extracted from black rice (Oryza sativa), utilized as a dietary supplement to commercial and live feed, on regeneration of amputated caudal fin in the zebrafish population. 4 months old (120 days postfertilization) newly amputated zebrafish were given anthocyanins daily during 21 days. The main ichthyological parameters, such as total length (TL) and length of caudal fin (LCF) were measured every 7 days. The obtained data was processed via T-test. Despite all predictions, the control group demonstrated better growth and regeneration than the experimental fishes. It might correlate to high concentration of anthocyanins, which in turn activates the process of apoptosis.