Anti-Bacterial and Immunostimulatory Properties of Ulvan-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles for Use in Aquaculture

Mar Biotechnol (NY). 2023 Dec 19. doi: 10.1007/s10126-023-10272-x. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTAlternative prophylactic strategies to limit farm animal infection are needed in order to avoid the use of antibiotics. Anti-bacterial and immunostimulatory properties of bioactive compounds are of great interest in aquaculture. Marine derived polysaccharides, such as chitosan and ulvan, together with nanotechnology, have become the focus of attention in the scientific community due to their wide range of biological properties. In this work, chitosan and ulvan-loaded chitosan nanoparticles (referred as CS-TPP NPs and CS-UL-TPP NPs, respectively), obtained by the ionotropic gelation method, had round shape, and the mean sizes were 137.00 ± 5.44 and 325.50 ± 4.95 nm, respectively. No study about the anti-bacterial activity of both types of NPs against Photobacterium damselae subsp. piscicida, an important fish pathogen, has been reported so far. Furthermore, the potential immunostimulatory effects of CS-UL-TPP NPs after oral administration in fish have not yet been evaluated. The percentage of bacterial inhibition against P. damselae subsp. piscicida was determined through in vitro assays, and it was significantly higher in CS-UL-TPP NPs than in CS-TPP NPs at concentrations below 0.03 mg mL-1. The effects on the immune system of CS-TPP and CS-UL-TPP NPs were evaluated in Solea senegalensis juveniles at 30 days after oral administration. Lysozyme activity as well as gene expression...
Source: Marine Biotechnology - Category: Biotechnology Authors: Source Type: research