Multi-Species Probiotics as Sustainable Strategy to Alleviate Polyamide Microplastic-Induced Stress in Nile Tilapia

Mahadi Amin, Md Sameul Islam, Mst Mahfuja Akhter Sweety, Muallimul Islam, Azmaien Naziat, Md. Mahiuddin Zahangir, Nesar Ahmed and Md Shahjahan ()
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Mahadi Amin: Laboratory of Fish Ecophysiology, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
Md Sameul Islam: Laboratory of Fish Ecophysiology, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
Mst Mahfuja Akhter Sweety: Laboratory of Fish Ecophysiology, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
Muallimul Islam: Laboratory of Fish Ecophysiology, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh
Azmaien Naziat: Department of Fish Biology and Biotechnology, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram 4225, Bangladesh
Md. Mahiuddin Zahangir: Department of Fish Biology and Biotechnology, Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chattogram 4225, Bangladesh
Nesar Ahmed: Policy and Economics, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
Md Shahjahan: Laboratory of Fish Ecophysiology, Department of Fisheries Management, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 20, 1-19

Abstract: Microplastic particles exhibit multiple toxic effects, disrupting physiological processes in fish, such as Nile tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ), a widely cultured species. Probiotics could help counter polyamide microplastic toxicity while promoting fish health and sustainable aquaculture. A 6-week experiment was conducted on Nile tilapia included four treatments: (1) without polyamide microplastics and/or probiotics (control) and (2) with polyamide microplastics (PA-MP), (3) probiotics (Pr.), or (4) polyamide microplastics and probiotics (PA-MP + Pr.). The outcomes demonstrate that exposure to polyamide microplastics caused poorer growth performance and survivability along with reduced hemoglobin, and upregulated glucose levels, which were restored by probiotics application. The prevalence of erythrocytic abnormalities increased in the polyamide microplastic group but probiotics supplementation reduced the anomalies. Fish exposed to polyamide microplastics exhibited a lower frequency of goblet cells than other groups. Moreover, expression of antioxidant genes ( SOD and CAT ) and immune genes (IL-1β , IFN-γ , and TNF-α ) was higher during polyamide microplastic exposure, which was downregulated in the polyamide microplastics along with probiotics group. These findings suggest that multi-species probiotics relieve microplastic-induced stress and hindrance of growth in Nile tilapia, which will help sustainable aquaculture practices safeguard fish health and maintain aquaculture productivity by alleviating adverse impacts of microplastic pollution in waterbodies.

Keywords: microplastics; probiotics; growth; stress mitigation; sustainable aquaculture (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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