Antioxidant Defenses and Oxidative Stress Management in Aquaculture

A special issue of Antioxidants (ISSN 2076-3921).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2026) | Viewed by 5282

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
South China Seas Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
Interests: proteins; peptides; marine mollusks; Gastropoda; Bivalvia; Cephalopoda
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues, 

Aquaculture systems face unprecedented challenges from intensifying environmental stressors (e.g., eutrophication, hypoxia, high stocking density, temperature fluctuations, and poor water quality), which disrupt organismal redox homeostasis and induce oxidative stress in farmed species. The resultant pathophysiological states can impair cellular integrity, metabolic efficiency, and immunological competence, culminating in substantial production losses annually. While synthetic antioxidants have been widely used to mitigate these effects, concerns for their long-term sustainability and safety necessitate alternative strategies premised on natural, eco-friendly solutions.

In this context, antioxidant defenses—whether endogenous (e.g., enzymatic systems such as SOD and catalase) or exogenous (e.g., dietary antioxidants)—play a pivotal role in maintaining health and resilience in aquatic organisms. Recent advances highlight the potential of natural antioxidants (e.g., polyphenols, carotenoids, and microalgal extracts) to enhance oxidative stress management in aquaculture. However, gaps remain in understanding their optimal application, modes of action, and interactions with aquaculture practices.

This Special Issue will collate cutting-edge research on antioxidant defenses and oxidative stress mitigation in aquaculture systems. Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Novel antioxidant sources (e.g., plant by-products, microbial metabolites, or functional feeds) for aquaculture applications;
  • Cellular and organismal responses to oxidative stress and antioxidant interventions;
  • Sustainable strategies to enhance antioxidant capacity in farmed species (e.g., nutritional programming, genetic selection, or water quality management);
  • Biomarkers and tools for monitoring oxidative stress and antioxidant efficacy in aquaculture;
  • Emerging methodological approaches for discovering or dissecting key cytoprotectant molecules and their biosynthetic pathways (multi-omics and machine learning assisted analysis)

We welcome original research and review articles addressing these themes. By combining fundamental insights with practical solutions, this Special Issue will advance sustainable aquaculture practices while improving animal welfare and productivity.

Dr. Yang Zhang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Antioxidants is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • aquaculture
  • antioxidant defenses
  • oxidative stress
  • aquatic organisms

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

16 pages, 1759 KB  
Article
Melatonin May Improve Post-Thaw Sperm Motility in Epinephelus fuscoguttatus by Potentially Regulating Mitochondrial mPTP via the MT2/PI3K/GSK-3β Pathway: First Evidence in Teleosts
by Yuxin Zhang, Qingxin Ruan, Weiwei Zhang, Yingxin Wu, Jiajie Li, Qinghua Wang, Fanming Guo, Yang Yang and Zining Meng
Antioxidants 2026, 15(4), 422; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15040422 - 27 Mar 2026
Viewed by 695
Abstract
Melatonin, a well-known antioxidant, has been widely used in sperm cryopreservation of various animals, but its regulatory mechanism in fish remains unclear. This first study on teleosts suggests a potential molecular mechanism by which melatonin may improve post-thaw sperm quality of Epinephelus fuscoguttatus [...] Read more.
Melatonin, a well-known antioxidant, has been widely used in sperm cryopreservation of various animals, but its regulatory mechanism in fish remains unclear. This first study on teleosts suggests a potential molecular mechanism by which melatonin may improve post-thaw sperm quality of Epinephelus fuscoguttatus via targeting mitochondrial function. Compared with the melatonin group, the MT1 receptor-inhibited group showed slightly higher sperm motility (77.09 ± 3.41% vs. 76.50 ± 1.10%), significantly inhibited mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening (12.64 ± 1.05% vs. 18.29 ± 1.38%), and maintained higher mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP; 85.86 ± 0.18% vs. 81.81 ± 0.69%), with both groups performing better than the control. In contrast, the MT2-inhibited and MT1/2 dual-inhibited groups exhibited reduced sperm quality compared with the MT group, suggesting that MT2 may serve as the core receptor for melatonin to regulate mitochondrial homeostasis in teleosts. Mechanistically, melatonin-activated MT2 potentially inhibits mPTP opening via the PI3K/Akt/GSK-3β pathway, and this protective effect was abrogated by the PI3K and GSK-3β inhibitors. This receptor-mediated process synergized with melatonin’s direct antioxidant effect, as ROS levels in all melatonin-treated groups were significantly lower than the control. This study is the first to find pharmacological evidence for the melatonin–MT2/PI3K/GSK-3β axis in maintaining teleost sperm mitochondrial function; it also reveals potential mechanistic differences between teleosts and mammals and fills a critical knowledge gap regarding this signaling cascade in teleost reproductive biology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant Defenses and Oxidative Stress Management in Aquaculture)
Show Figures

Figure 1

21 pages, 30469 KB  
Article
Transcriptome and Gene Family Analyses Reveal the Physiological and Immune Regulatory Mechanisms of Channa maculata Larvae in Response to Nanoplastic-Induced Oxidative Stress
by Ziwen Yang, Dandan Gao, Yuntao Lu, Yang Zou, Yueying Deng, Luping Liu, Qing Luo, Haiyang Liu, Shuzhan Fei, Kunci Chen, Jian Zhao and Mi Ou
Antioxidants 2026, 15(1), 125; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox15010125 - 19 Jan 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 936
Abstract
The increasing accumulation of plastic debris in aquatic environments has raised concerns about the ecotoxicological effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs). This study examined PSNPs toxicity during a critical developmental stage by exposing 15 days post-fertilization (dpf) larvae of blotched snakehead (Channa maculata [...] Read more.
The increasing accumulation of plastic debris in aquatic environments has raised concerns about the ecotoxicological effects of polystyrene nanoplastics (PSNPs). This study examined PSNPs toxicity during a critical developmental stage by exposing 15 days post-fertilization (dpf) larvae of blotched snakehead (Channa maculata), an economically important freshwater fish, to PSNPs concentrations of 0.05–20 mg/L for 15 days. Histopathological analysis showed concentration-dependent damage, including hepatocellular vacuolization (5–10 mg/L) and hepatic sinusoidal dilation (20 mg/L) in the liver, alongside intestinal injuries ranging from villus erosion to rupture (5–20 mg/L). Biochemically, PSNPs triggered a biphasic oxidative response, where superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities peaked at 5 mg/L before declining, while malondialdehyde (MDA) levels exhibited an opposite trend. Transcriptomic analysis and Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) indicated that PSNPs disrupted growth, energy metabolism, and immune regulation in C. maculata larvae, evidenced by the dysregulation of growth hormone/insulin-like growth factor (GH/IGF) axis genes and up-regulation of immune-related genes. Furthermore, Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) identified the heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (HNRNP) gene family as hub genes from the key turquoise module, suggesting that PSNPs interfere with RNA processing and post-transcriptional control. In summary, PSNPs caused multi-level toxicity in C. maculata larvae, providing new insights into their ecotoxicological hazards in freshwater ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant Defenses and Oxidative Stress Management in Aquaculture)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

19 pages, 6628 KB  
Article
Ammonia Stress Disrupts Intestinal Health in Litopenaeus vannamei Under Seawater and Low-Salinity Environments by Impairing Mucosal Integrity, Antioxidant Capability, Immunity, Energy Metabolism, and Microbial Community
by Yafei Duan, Yuxiu Nan, Jitao Li, Meng Xiao, Yun Wang and Ruijie Zhu
Antioxidants 2025, 14(11), 1383; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14111383 - 20 Nov 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1237
Abstract
Ammonia is a key water quality factor limiting shrimp aquaculture. Intestinal health is closely associated with the nutrition, metabolism and immunity of shrimp. However, the response characteristics of the shrimp intestine to ammonia stress under seawater and low-salinity environments remain unclear. In this [...] Read more.
Ammonia is a key water quality factor limiting shrimp aquaculture. Intestinal health is closely associated with the nutrition, metabolism and immunity of shrimp. However, the response characteristics of the shrimp intestine to ammonia stress under seawater and low-salinity environments remain unclear. In this study, the shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei reared in seawater (salinity 30) or low-salinity (salinity 3) water were subjected to ammonia stress for 14 days, respectively. The changes in intestinal morphology, antioxidant capacity, immune response, energy metabolism, and microbial community were systematically investigated. The results showed that ammonia stress induced intestinal tissue damage in both seawater and low-salinity cultured shrimp, characterized by epithelial cell detachment and mucosal structural disruption. At the molecular level, ammonia stress triggered intestinal stress responses by interfering with key physiological processes such as antioxidant defense and endoplasmic reticulum stress. This process further led to varying degrees of disorders in physiological functions, including immune regulation, inflammatory response, and autophagic activity. In addition, ammonia stress disrupted the homeostatic balance of intestinal energy metabolism by affecting the expression of genes related to glucose metabolism, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and mitochondrial respiratory chain. In addition, ammonia stress increased the diversity of intestinal microbiota and caused microbial dysbiosis by increasing harmful bacteria (e.g., Vibrio) and decreasing beneficial bacterial groups (e.g., Bacillus). Ammonia stress generally enhanced intestinal microbiota chemotaxis. Specifically, predicted functions of microbiota in seawater-cultured shrimp showed increased carbohydrate, linoleic acid, and cofactor/vitamin metabolism; in low-salinity-cultured shrimp, functions including protein digestion/absorption, flavonoid/steroid hormone biosynthesis, and glycosaminoglycan degradation were reduced. These results revealed that ammonia stress compromised shrimp intestinal health by disrupting mucosal structure, triggering stress responses, and disturbing immune function, energy metabolism, and microbial homeostasis. Notably, low-salinity cultured shrimp exhibited more pronounced intestinal stress responses and greater physiological vulnerability than seawater-cultured counterparts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant Defenses and Oxidative Stress Management in Aquaculture)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 3468 KB  
Article
Transcriptomic and Proteomic Insights into 6PPD/6PPD-Q Induced Oxidative Stress in Black-Spotted Frogs
by Wenhui Sun, Bingyi Wang, Sihan Zhang, Zhiquan Liu, Yinan Zhang and Hangjun Zhang
Antioxidants 2025, 14(8), 1019; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14081019 - 20 Aug 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1795
Abstract
N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) and its oxidation product 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q) can have lethal effects on aquatic organisms, interfering with gene expression and protein content in aquatic animals. In this study, we performed proteomics and transcriptomics analyses on the livers of black-spotted frogs exposed to 6PPD [...] Read more.
N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)-N′-phenyl-p-phenylenediamine (6PPD) and its oxidation product 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q) can have lethal effects on aquatic organisms, interfering with gene expression and protein content in aquatic animals. In this study, we performed proteomics and transcriptomics analyses on the livers of black-spotted frogs exposed to 6PPD and 6PPD-Q. The results showed that 6PPD and 6PPD-Q can cause oxidative stress in the liver, significantly reducing catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) levels, with 6PPD-Q having a more significant toxic effect. Through transcriptomics and proteomics analysis, this study identified oxidative stress and immune defense pathways. In this study, the liver of the black-spotted frog provided some molecular insights into the toxicity of 6PPD and 6PPD-Q. Nonetheless, additional investigations are required to gain a clearer comprehension of the possible mechanisms that drive how aquatic organisms react to the toxic effects of 6PPD and 6PPD-Q. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Antioxidant Defenses and Oxidative Stress Management in Aquaculture)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop