Antioxidants and Aquaculture: A Synergistic Approach for Sustainable Aquatic Production

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2025 | Viewed by 2779

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
Interests: animal nutrition; bio-enzyme; antioxidant; probiotic; fermentation; immunology; intestinal microorganism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
Interests: crustacean; phospholipids; sustainable aquaculture; aquaculture welfare; aquaculture nutrition; feed additives; interaction of aquaculture feed and the environment; aquaponics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Fisheries, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan
Interests: aquaculture nutrition; protein nutrition; peptides; digestibility; immune response; feed supplementation; fatty acids; lipid metabolism; enzyme activity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Antioxidants will play a crucial role in aquaculture, an industry that will experience exponential growth to meet increasing global demand for aquatic products amid declining wild fish stocks. This rapid expansion will bring challenges, particularly in intensive farming systems, where stressors will potentially compromise aquatic organisms’ health and productivity.

The Special Issue “Antioxidants and Aquaculture” will explore antioxidants’ role in modern aquaculture, presenting research on oxidative stress management and sustainable aquatic production. In intensive aquaculture, organisms will face multiple stressors, like high stocking densities, water quality fluctuations, and pathogenic challenges, leading to increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and potential cellular oxidative damage.

Antioxidants, whether supplemented through diet or environmental applications, will maintain organismal homeostasis and promote optimal growth conditions. Recent advances will demonstrate promising applications of synthetic and natural antioxidants, from vitamins C and E to plant-based extracts, offering benefits for aquatic species’ health, growth performance, and stress resistance.

This Special Issue will combine multidisciplinary research examining antioxidants’ applications and mechanisms in aquaculture, focusing on enhancing production efficiency while maintaining environmental sustainability. It will provide insights into fundamental mechanisms and practical applications for researchers, industry professionals, and stakeholders.

Dr. Yukun Zhang
Dr. Amina Moss
Prof. Dr. Saichiro Yokoyama
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • oxidative stress
  • aquatic animals
  • dietary antioxidants
  • reactive oxygen species (ROS)
  • natural antioxidants
  • fish nutrition
  • antioxidant supplementation
  • environmental stressors
  • sustainable aquaculture
  • stress management

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1530 KiB  
Article
Antioxidant Capacity, Lipid Oxidation, and Quality Traits of Slow- and Fast-Growing Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) Fillets During Cold Storage
by Ioannis Mittakos, Cosmas I. Nathanailides, Lambros E. Kokokiris, Alexandra Barbouti, Konstantina Bitchava, Evangelia Gouva, Markos N. Kolygas, Michael A. Terzidis and Michael G. Kontominas
Antioxidants 2025, 14(2), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14020124 - 21 Jan 2025
Viewed by 1513
Abstract
Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is an important species in aquaculture, with size and flesh quality playing key roles in its production and marketability. This study aimed to examine the relationship between growth and flesh quality parameters, including fatty acid content (FA), total [...] Read more.
Meagre (Argyrosomus regius) is an important species in aquaculture, with size and flesh quality playing key roles in its production and marketability. This study aimed to examine the relationship between growth and flesh quality parameters, including fatty acid content (FA), total antioxidant capacity (TOAC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), lipid oxidation (LO), muscle cellularity (MC), and filleting yield (FY) during cold storage. Fish from the same hatchery raised under identical conditions showed size variation after 12 months. Fish below 600 g were classified as slow growing (SG), while those above 1000 g were classified as fast-growing (FG). The results showed that FG fish had higher body weight, moisture, and FY but exhibited lower levels of fat and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). SG fish had higher TOAC and SOD activity, which significantly declined during cold storage in both groups but remained higher in SG fish. Despite the higher lipid content in SG fish, no significant differences in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, an indicator of LO, were observed between the two groups, suggesting that the elevated antioxidant defenses in SG fish mitigated lipid peroxidation. This study underscores intrinsic antioxidants’ potential to preserve lipid quality of fish fillets during cold storage. Full article
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17 pages, 3825 KiB  
Article
Shrimp White Spot Viral Infections Are Attenuated by Organic Acids by Regulating the Expression of HO-1 Oxygenase and β-1,3-Glucan-Binding Protein
by Ioan Pet, Igori Balta, Nicolae Corcionivoschi, Tiberiu Iancu, Ducu Stef, Lavinia Stef and Iuliana Cretescu
Antioxidants 2025, 14(1), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox14010089 - 14 Jan 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 920
Abstract
The absence of efficient on-farm interventions against white spot syndrome viral (WSSV) infections can cause significant economic losses to shrimp farmers. With this exploratory study we aimed to test, both in vitro and in vivo, the efficacy of an organic acid mixture (Aq) [...] Read more.
The absence of efficient on-farm interventions against white spot syndrome viral (WSSV) infections can cause significant economic losses to shrimp farmers. With this exploratory study we aimed to test, both in vitro and in vivo, the efficacy of an organic acid mixture (Aq) against WSSV infections in shrimp. In vitro, using shrimp gut primary cells (SGP), 2% Aq significantly reduced WSSV infection and the amounts of H2O2 released but had no impact on CAT and SOD expression. In vivo, in a shrimp challenge test, 2% Aq significantly downregulated the expression of proteins involved in WSSV virulence, such as the lipopolysaccharide-β-1,3-glucan-binding protein (LGBP) and the TLR signalling pathway (LvECSIT), and increased the expression of HO-1 oxygenase. Additionally, at 2% Aq, the expression of the digestive-related enzyme carboxypeptidase B was upregulated in the gut, alongside a significant decrease in IL-22 expression, a cytokine usually increased during WSSV infection in shrimp. A low mortality rate (7.33%) was recorded in infected shrimp treated with 2% Aq compared to the 96.66% mortality in the absence of Aq. The peritrophic membrane (PM) was proven essential to ensure Aq efficacy, as the infected and treated PM deficient shrimp (PM−) had a mortality rate of 27.8%, compared to only 9.34% mortality in the infected shrimp at 2% Aq and in the presence of PM (PM+). Aq significantly increased the expression of mucin-1, mucin-2, mucin-5AC, mucin-5B, and mucin-19 in both PM+ and PM− shrimp. Conclusively, organic acid in mixtures can protect farmed shrimp against WSSV infection and increase their survivability through a mediated gut health effect which includes resistance to oxidative stress and improved immunity. Full article
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