Khalafalaa Malik, Shehab Shaimaa M, Aboraya Mohamed H, Amer Asem A, Farrag Foad, Abdelghany Mohamed F, Alotaibi Badriyah S, Abdelmegeid Mohamed, Shukry Mustafa, Elolimy Ahmed A
Department of Fish Nutrition, Faculty of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh, Egypt.
College of Fisheries and Life Science, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China.
Front Vet Sci. 2025 Sep 10;12:1620632. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2025.1620632. eCollection 2025.
The increasing global demand for sustainable aquaculture practices has prompted the search for natural and effective alternatives to synthetic feed additives. Herbal essential oils (HEOs) have emerged as promising candidates due to their bioactive properties that support growth, health, and immunity in fish.
This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with blended HEOs-comprising carvacrol, oregano oil, 1,8-cineole, thymol, -pinene, -pinene, limonene, and propylene glycol-on growth performance, hematological indices, antioxidant status, immune response, intestinal morphology, and gene expression in Nile tilapia () fingerlings. Over a 72-day trial, fish were fed diets with 0 (control), 30, 60, 120, and 240 mL/kg of HEOs.
The 30 and 60 mL/kg groups showed significantly improved final body weight, weight gain, specific growth rate, and feed conversion ratio ( < 0.05). Hematological parameters increased, while serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels decreased. Enhanced lysozyme activity, phagocytic rate, IgM concentration, and antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT) were observed in the 30 and 60 mL/kg groups. Additionally, these doses significantly upregulated the expression of growth- and immunity-related genes (GHr, IGF-I, IL-1β, TNF-, ZO-1, and occludin) while downregulating HSP70, indicating improved stress resilience. Histological analysis revealed increased villi height and surface area in the intestine, suggesting better nutrient absorption. These findings demonstrate that dietary supplementation with 30-60 mL/kg of HEOs can enhance physiological and immunological health, offering a natural strategy to improve Nile tilapia aquaculture productivity.
全球对可持续水产养殖做法的需求不断增加，促使人们寻找合成饲料添加剂的天然有效替代品。草药精油（HEOs）因其具有支持鱼类生长、健康和免疫的生物活性特性而成为有前途的候选物。
本研究评估了在尼罗罗非鱼幼鱼的日粮中添加混合草药精油（包括香芹酚、牛至油、1,8-桉叶素、百里香酚、α-蒎烯、β-蒎烯、柠檬烯和丙二醇）对其生长性能、血液学指标、抗氧化状态、免疫反应、肠道形态和基因表达的影响。在为期72天的试验中，给鱼投喂含有0（对照）、30、60、120和240 mL/kg草药精油的日粮。
30和60 mL/kg组的终末体重、体重增加、特定生长率和饲料转化率均显著提高（P < 0.05）。血液学参数增加，而血清胆固醇和甘油三酯水平降低。在30和60 mL/kg组中观察到溶菌酶活性、吞噬率、IgM浓度和抗氧化酶（SOD和CAT）增强。此外，这些剂量显著上调了生长和免疫相关基因（GHr、IGF-I、IL-1β、TNF-α、ZO-1和闭合蛋白）的表达，同时下调了HSP70，表明应激恢复能力提高。组织学分析显示肠道绒毛高度和表面积增加，表明营养吸收更好。这些发现表明，在日粮中添加30 - 60 mL/kg的草药精油可以增强生理和免疫健康，为提高尼罗罗非鱼养殖生产力提供了一种天然策略。
