Dietary supplementation of levamisole modulates protein and lipid MALDI-TOF MS profiles of Nile tilapia without causing negative histological alterations

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the dietary supplementation of levamisole hydrochloride on Oreochromis niloticus lipid and protein profiles through matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and possible tissue lesions by histopathological analyzes. A total of 320 fingerlings were distributed into the following groups: fish fed supplemented diets with 100, 150 and 200 mg of levamisole kg−1 and fish fed a diet receiving no supplementation. After 8 days of feeding, stomach histopathology showed that fish fed the 100 and 150 mg kg−1 levamisole supplemented diets had a significantly lower intensity in the degeneration of columnar epithelial cells when compared to the control group (p