Hamid Farahmand

University of Toronto as well as University of Southampton · Department of Molecular Genetics

The aim of this study was the enrichment of high-performance microbial communities in biofilters for removal of ammonium and nitrite from aquaculture water. Ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were enriched from different environmental water samples. The microbial communities with higher ammonium and nitrite remov...

Recently, Luciobarbus conocephalus was reported from the Hari River for the first time, but the validity of this species has been questioned because some authors consider it a subspecies or a synonym of L. capito. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the phylogeny of this species and its validity. The specimens were collected from...

The validity of three morphologically described loach species viz. Oxynoemacheilus chomanicus, O. zagrosensis, O. kurdistanicus and one geographically newly reported species, Turcinoemacheilus kosswigi from Choman River drainage, in western Iran were evaluated using Cytochrome b gene. The results confirmed the validity of four Choman River's loache...

Background: The aim of this study was the enrichment of high-performance microbial communities in biofilters for removal of ammonium and nitrite from aquaculture water. Methods: Ammonium oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite oxidizing bacteria (NOB) were enriched from different environmental water samples. The microbial communities with higher ammon...

Southern Caspian Kutum, Rutilus frisii kutum (Kamensky, 1901) is an important economic species in north of Iran. This study was conducted in order to identifying QTLs associated with growth traits, body weight and total length, in Caspian Kutum (R. frisii kutum) using microsatellites from close species, Common Carp (cyprinus carpio). The eleven ful...

Human listeriosis is predominantly associated with contaminated food consumption, including seafood, shrimp, and RTE foods. Listeria monocytogenes is a foodborne pathogen that is mainly found in freshwater, seawater, and fish mucus. Seafood contamination can occur during food processing. L.monocytogenes levels of below 100 cfu/g can be found in sea...

Persian leopards Panthera pardus saxicolor have been extirpated from over 84% of their historic range, and are now limited to rugged landscapes of west Asia and the Caucasus. Understanding and maintaining genetic diversity and population connectivity is important for preventing inbreeding and genetic drift, both of which can threaten population via...

The aim of this study was isolation and characterization of heterotrophic bacteria capable of ammonium and nitrite removal at 15 °C (optimal temperature for growing rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss). Environmental isolates were grown in liquid media containing ammonium or nitrite, and best strains in terms of growth and ammonium or nitrite removal...

Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment (SELEX) is an iterative method for in vitro selection of aptamers from a random synthetic oligonucleotide library. Successful retrieving of aptamers by SELEX relies on optimization of various steps including target immobilization, aptamer partitioning, amplification, and ssDNA generation, wh...

Efficient antibacterial and antifungal properties of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) sparked its commercial application in several industrial and household products. Drastic increase of AgNPs production raised concerns over aquatic organisms’ exposure. The toxic dose, mechanism of toxicity, physiological damages, gene expression alteration, hematologi...

In the present study, we evaluated the effect of commercial immunogenic prebiotic on the rate of methylation of type-C gene. A total of 120 rainbow trout were divided into two treatments, including a control group and another one with 2.0% commercial prebiotic immunogen each in three replicates. On the first, 15 and 45 days, DNA of adrenal tissue w...

Thyroid hormones (THs) play an important role in early stages development of fish species. Manual elevation of THs in the embryos improves viability and hatching success. However, the impacts of endocrine disrupting chemicals on THs-treated embryos are unclear. This study investigated the effect of triiodothyronine (T3) to mitigate toxic effects of...

Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) is an endangered species and genetic resource banking such as gametes and embryo preservation could be one of the most pursued conservation approaches. In this study, deleterious effects of the traditional cryopreservation technique and the effect of different doses of 2-hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HβCD) o...

Skin aging is accompanied by up regulation of the matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expression and down regulation of collagen synthesis. Extracted sterols of marine algaes have been reported as anti-cancer agents and antioxidants, which can indicate the potential for anti-wrinkle properties in the human skin. In this study, the sterols extracted from...

A new world approach based on the use of marine resources suggests that seaweed is a useful resource for bioactive chemical compounds. The survival rate of these organisms, in comparison with its rivals in the environment indicates the protective mechanisms of algae using a chemical structural change. The high strength of algae against cancer cells...

This study was designed to investigate whether the prebiotic mannan‐oligosaccharides (MOS) can reduce the deleterious impacts of feed deprivation on growth and reproduction in zebrafish. In the growth performance experiment, juvenile fish were distributed in the following four treatments: normal‐control (NC), starved‐control (SC), normal‐prebiotic...

DNA breakage has been frequently used as a biomarker of the pesticide toxicity. The present study introduced a method to quantify the DNA breakage in Oncorhynchus mykiss exposed to the pesticide Malathion. Specimens were exposed to different concentrations of malathion for 1-9 days and their gill and liver were sampled. DNA was extracted and electr...

The nucleoprotein of infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV) is considered as the main target antigen for detection of IHNV infection in salmonid fish. This study aimed at improving the expression and solubility of IHNV nucleoprotein (IHNV-NP) in E. coli expression system. The effects of several expression strategies including host strain ty...

Molecular data and phylogenetic relationships of four Choman loaches species (Oxynoemacheilus chomanicus, O. zagrosensis, O. kurdistanicus and Turcinoemacheilus kosswigi ) recently morphologically described from western Iran were evaluated with 64 species from the Cobitoidea superfamily based on their cytochrome b sequences to exhibit the placement...

Background: There is increasing recognition of the concordance between marine biogeographic and phylogeographic boundaries. However, it is still unclear how population-level divergence translates into species-level divergence, and what are the principal factors that first initiate that divergence, and then maintain reproductive isolation. This stu...

Ferula gummosa Boiss. is an industrial and pharmaceutical plant that has been highly recognized for its valuable oleo-gum-resin, namely galbanum. Despite the fabulous value of galbanum, very little information on the genetic and biochemical mechanisms of its production existed. In the present study, the oleo-gum-resin and four organs (root, flower,...

In this study, metabolic responses of Persian sturgeon fingerlings to hyperosmotic condition were investigated by NMR-based metabolomics. Persian sturgeon fingerlings (n = 2010, mean total weight: 3.2 ± 0.6 g; mean total length: 8.5 ± 1.5 cm) were held in freshwater (FW) for 96 hr and then acclimated in brackish water (BW) (12 g/L) for 24 hr. Blood...

Feed deprivation has deleterious effects on fish behavior and stress physiology which may susceptible them to disease outbreak. Functional ingredients in diets may substantially impact the physiology and stress responses of host organisms. Here, we hypothesized that the administration of a dietary prebiotic might attenuate the negative influences o...

A study was designed to investigate the possible positive prebiotic effects of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) on growth and reduction of anxiety behaviors in zebrafish (Danio rerio). The experimental diets were supplemented with 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 g MOS kg−1 and were fed to juvenile fish (0.47 ± 0.017 g) in triplicates for six weeks. Significant diffe...

Comparative quantitative metabolite profiling can be used for better understanding of cell functions and dysfunctions in particular circumstances such as sperm banking which is an important approach for cryopreservation of endangered species. Cryopreservation techniques have some deleterious effects on spermatozoa which put the obtained results in...

Galbanum is an aromatic oleo-gum-resin forms as a pharmaceutical and industrial product of the species Ferula gummosa Boiss. Until recently, the essential oil composition from different parts of the plant in comparison with the oleo-gum-resin remains mostly unclear. Therefore, the essential oil from galbanum, root, stem, flower, and leaf of the pla...

To replenish the depleting populations of sturgeon fishes especially Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus in the Caspian Sea, millions of Persian sturgeon fingerlings are farmed through artificial propagation and released into the Iranian river estuaries annually. Fish osmoregulation is a vital physiological process that can be affected during the...

The DNA breakage has been widely used in ecotoxicological studies to investigate effects of pesticides in fishes. The present study used a fuzzy inference system to quantify the breakage of DNA double strand in Aphanius sophiae exposed to the cypermethrin. The specimens were adapted to different temperatures and salinity for 14 days and then expose...

This study aimed to investigate effects of malathion on DNA breakage in the liver and gill of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in the laboratory condition. The experiment was performed with four concentrations of malathion, i.e. 0 (control), 0.025, 0.05 and 0.075 mg L-1 and three replicate for nine days. The liver and gill were sampled on the fi...

Activities of the main enzymes involved in digestion (pepsin, trypsin, amylase, lipase and alkaline phosphatase) in Sobaity sea bream were studied from hatching up to the juvenile stages (40 days after hatch, DAH). All enzyme activities except for pepsin were detected upon hatching, and their activity subsequently increased with age. Early presence...

Genetic diversity is vital for the maintenance of genetic pool in cultured shrimps. In order to estimate the current status of genetic diversity in Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp in Iran, as an exotic species, a total of 45 individuals from Amiri and Gorgeaj farms in Jask port of Hormozgan province and one hatchery in Gomishan city of Golestan provinc...

Juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were passively immunized by intraperitoneal immunization against somatostatin-14 (SS-14) using an antibody originating from egg-laying chicken (Gallus domesticus). Fish were immunized weekly (0, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 days) with chicken egg yolk-derived immunoglobulin (IgY) against SS-14 (1:25 IgY, 5 mg mL−1)...

Caspian trout, Salmo trutta caspius, a subspecies of brown trout, S. trutta, is a commercially important but endangered fish species found in the Caspian Sea. To investigate the effect of changes in salinity during migration on the growth of Caspian trout, juvenile fish were challenged in brackish water, and the levels of growth hormone (GH) and in...

As the largest extant cat species in west Asia, the leopard (Panthera pardus) shows high morphological variation, which has led to the description of seven different subspecies in the region. Different investigations have tried to clarify its phylogenetic structure; however, sample size and spatial distribution insufficiently represent the Iranian...

This study was aimed at assessing the histopathological and haematological effects of a widely used herbicide on rice paddy fields, i.e. butachlor, on rainbow trout. Fish were exposed to butachlor at a concentration of 0.39 mg/l, for a period of 10 days. Haematologically, fish showed a significant decrease in erythrocyte count, haemoglobin, white b...

The pearl oyster, Pinctada radiata, shows great variation in shell morphology throughout its distribution. This variation can be related to phenotypic plasticity, genetic variability or a combination of both. Using geometric morphometric and microsatellite DNA analyses, two morphologically distinct populations of the pearl oyster were studied in th...

This trial was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary administration of Vitacel®, a commercial fermentable fiber, on immune related genes (Lysozyme, TNFα and HSP70) expression, innate immune response and resistance of rainbow trout against Aeromonas hydrophila. 120 healthy rainbow trout (81.65 ± 1.49 g) were distributed in six fiberglass...

This trial was carried out to investigate the effects of dietary administration of Vitacel®, a commercial fermentable fiber, on immune related genes (Lysozyme, TNFα and HSP70) expression, innate immune response and resistance of rainbow trout against Aeromonas hydrophila. 120 healthy rainbow trout (81.65 ± 1.49 g) were distributed in six fiberglass...

Annually, the large volumes of paper mill effluent to the environment in Iran. The major pulp and paper mill contain a large amount of alcohols and fatty acids and resin acids. Such materials stimulate vitellogenin production and suggested to be an estrogen mimic which cause sterility, sex reversal, yolk advance of replication and disruption of hor...

Panulirus homarus is an economically important spiny lobster that is widespread through the Indo-West Pacific Region, but has an uncertain taxonomic status, with three or four geographic subspecies having been described. This study used mitochondrial (16S, COI and control region) and nuclear (18S, ITS-1) DNA sequences to examine specimens of all pu...

This study investigates the effects of prebiotic Immunogen® on lysozyme, TNFα and HSP70 gene expression in head kidney, humoral innate immune parameters and resistant to Aeromonas hydrophila of rainbow trout. 120 healthy rainbow trout (81.65±1.49 g) were distributed in six fiberglass tanks assigned to two groups fed control or diet supplemented wit...

The effect of two anti-androgenic endocrine disrupting compounds, i.e. the plasticizer di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and herbicide butachlor, were evaluated for their effects on immunoglobulin M (IgM) and leukocytes in male rainbow trout. Also, plasma testosterone (T) concentration was measured to confirm their anti-androgenic effects. In the...

In this study, cryopreservation feasibility of Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus) and the effect of different doses of 2‐hydroxypropyl‐beta‐cyclodextrin on thawed spermatozoa quality (motility duration and motility percentage) were investigated. For freezing, semen of seven male individuals was pooled in equal volumes and diluted with 4°C [Tris‐...

In this study, the efficiency of a novel droplet vitrification technique along with different doses of fish antifreeze protein (AFP) type III on Persian sturgeon thawed spermatozoa quality (motility duration and motility percentage) was investigated. Semen of seven male individuals was pooled in equal volumes and diluted with 4°C Tris-Hcl (100 mM),...

Farhadi, A., Farhamand, H., Nematollahi, M. A., Jeffs, A., and Lavery, S. D. 2013. Mitochondrial DNA population structure of the scalloped lobster Panulirus homarus (Linnaeus 1758) from the West Indian Ocean. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: . The scalloped spiny lobster Panulirus homarus (Linnaeus, 1758) is a highly valuable species with a wi...

In our previous study, for the first time in any fish species, the mRNA expression of L-Gulono-γ-lactone oxidase (GULO) was investigated during early development of Persian sturgeon, Acipenser persicus, and it was demonstrated that GULO mRNA was expressed throughout the development of Persian sturgeon. Accordingly, it was suggested that the initial...

Biomonitoring is the main way to assess the pollution status in aquatic ecosystems where Biomarkers response is used at different levels of trace contaminants on the aquatic organisms. Recently, many investigations have been focused to the genotoxic biomarker in aquatic ecosystems owing to mutagen effects of the contaminant on such environment. How...

Background & Objective: The presence of E. coli in fish intended for human consumption may constitute a potential danger, not only on causing disease, but also because of the possible transfer of antibiotic resistance from aquatic bacteria to those infecting humans. The objective of this study was to develop an improved PCR method based on species...

Interrelationships, origin and phylogenetic affinities of brown trout Salmo trutta populations from the southern Caspian Sea basin, Orumieh and Namak Lake basins in Iran were analysed from complete mtDNA control region sequences, 12 microsatellite loci and morphological characters. Among 129 specimens from six populations, seven haplotypes were obs...

The functions of ghrelin, a novel weight-regulatory peptide, have not been intensively investigated in primitive fish. This experiment was conducted to determine whether ghrelin has a specific effect on growth hormone (GH), prolactin and cortisol levels in Persian sturgeon (Acipenser persicus). Juvenile Persian sturgeons with a mean body weight of...

One of the hypotheses of cell damage after cryopreservation is the deleterious effects of oxygen free radicals generated during freezing and thawing. This study evaluated the protective effect of Vitamin E supplementation as antioxidant on post-thaw DNA integrity of beluga (Huso huso) sperm. Collected sperm was divided into three parts and using DM...

Chitosan is a polysaccharide that has gained interest in recent to encapsulate active compounds due to its non-toxicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility and immunity system induction. The chitosan nanoparticle was prepared by adding vitamin C to tripolyphosphate (TPP) solution and then blending it stepwise to the chitosan solution under stirring...

Inhibition of the growth axis by somatostatin was studied in juvenile rainbow trout using passive immunisation with a previously isolated somatostatin antibody (antiSS-14). Upon subcutaneous injection of laying hens (Gallus domesticus) with conjugated somatostatin-14 (SS-14), the antiSS-14 was isolated from egg yolk. Isolation of immunoglobulin was...

l-Gulono-gamma-lactone oxidase (GULO) is a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of ascorbate, which is essential for several cellular functions. In the present study, mRNA expression of GULO gene was evaluated during the early development of Persian sturgeon. First, because there are no comparative studies that have established suitable quantitative rea...

Both micronuclei (MN) and binuclei (BN) as well as RAPD (Random Amplifying Polymorphism of DNA) assays are newly biomarkers which are well-introduced in toxic injury and related genotoxicity studies in bivalve, fishes and even humans. However, there is no record of such studies in Iranian Persian Gulf coast line so far. For this propose, we analyze...