Dietary supplementation of selenium nanoparticle improves the vitellogenesis and fecundity of female zebrafish

Selenium is an essential element for the growth and reproduction of fish. Nano-se is a better source of selenium that has higher bioavailabilit. In recent years, nano-se becomes popular research subject due to its novel and unique function. This study investigated the response of female zebrafish ovary to diets of nano-se at the rates of 0 (control), 10 and 20 ug/g dry feed weight. Nano-se can improve the growth performance and fecundity significantly, which is reflected by increased of body weight, GSI and ovarian follicle development. In addition, the ovary showed a higher proportion of mature oocyte and vitellogenic follicles. In the pituitary, the expression of lhb is significantly up-regulated. The results of transcriptome analysis indicated that pathways related with estrogen were significantly enriched and caused the expression of critical genes which related with gonad development and steroid metabolism changed, such as Vtgs, Foxl2, StAR and Cyp11a. This research has revealed the beneficial effects of nano-se on ovarian development and enhance reproductive function.