Selenium (Se) is an essential element found in aquatic feeds that promotes the proper development, wellbeing, and fitness of marine animals. Selenium can be transformed into nanomaterials that are more easily accessible, absorbed, and consumed by aquatic species using nanotechnology.
A paper published recently in the journal Reviews in Aquaculture provides a complete assessment of the effects of Se and Se nanoparticles (Se-NPs) in aquafeeds on marine animals. The study shows that nanoparticles can boost the usage and retention of Se in aquafeeds while lowering its toxicity.
Nanotechnology in Aquaculture Industry
The human population is expected to grow significantly, reaching around nine billion individuals by 2050. This is projected to put additional strain on the food manufacturing industry as it reacts to rising demand. Aquaculture, the fastest-growing food generation sector, has made substantial contributions to worldwide food and nutritional sustainability.
However, the sector’s long-term viability is jeopardized by growing feed prices as traditional feed materials become scarce and costly. To meet the blue economy aims, efforts have been undertaken to improve the accessibility and usage of current components.
Nanotechnology utilization is a new but extremely promising technical innovation in the aquaculture sector. Nanomaterials and emulsion-based methods can be used in aquafeed development, disease management, and water filtration.
Nanomaterials can significantly improve the resource utilization of aquaculture resources including medications, vaccines, powdered feeding, and even gene transfer.
Selenium (Se): A Vital Microelement in Aquatic Animals
Selenium (Se) is an essential microelement in marine animals with both nutritional and cytotoxic effects. Compared with organic components, the inorganic species of Se travels quickly through the fish intestines and has poor absorption and digestion. As a result, organic Se is suggested as the primary type of Se supplement in the diets of aquatic animals.
Selenium nanoparticles (Se-NPs) have lately shown several uses in aquafeeds due to their high absorption and anti-oxidation capabilities in marine animals. Se-NPs have been widely studied in aquafeeds, with documented advantages including improved growth efficiency, nutrient uptake, antioxidant effectiveness, immunological response, and infection resistance.
Disadvantages of Selenium Nanoparticles (Se-NPs) as Aquafeeds
Despite the many prospective advantages of Se-NPs in aquaculture, their usage can be hampered by a lack of understanding of dose-response impacts on fish quality and product safety.
Se-NPs have a restricted range of consumption in fish diets because larger amounts might be poisonous. At the same time, a lack of these important components could harm fish health by inducing tissue damage and decreasing physiological activities.
Limitations of Previous Studies
Investigations on the effects of Se consumption and its nanoscale particles in aquaculture have been oriented mostly toward fish populations, with little attention paid to other marine animals. As a result, significant gaps in current understanding remain, notably regarding the responsiveness of shrimps and crustaceans to diets supplemented with Se and Se-NPs.
Some economically important species and developmental stages have also been overlooked in prior research, limiting the use of nanomaterials in aquafeed synthesis and production.
Highlights of the Current Work
Selenium is an essential nutrient aquatic animals need for appropriate development and physiological activities. It has shown significant benefits, including increased feed efficiency, nutritional digestion, blood circulation, intestinal morphology, antioxidant properties, immunology, and tolerance to infections and environmental contaminants.
However, the needed amounts in the diets vary depending on the aquatic species, and any variation from the acceptable range has negative consequences due to the high toxicity of Se.
The positive benefits of Se may be boosted by nanotechnology by transforming it to its nanoparticle form (Se-NPs), which is better absorbed by animals and has a broader intake range. Because aquatic animals easily digest Se-NPs, they may satisfy nutritional needs in aquafeeds at low inclusion concentrations.
Future Outlook and Avenues for Further Research
In the future, investigators should study all developmental periods of both fish and crustaceans to identify the most important aquaculture species in domestic and foreign markets. Molecular techniques should be employed to acquire a thorough understanding of the regulatory mechanisms that Se-NPs use to boost the antioxidant activities and immunology of marine animals.
This would be essential information for the industrialization of aquaculture nanoscale materials. Future studies on including Se-NPs in aquaculture diets can lead to significant gains in fish productivity, ecological sustainability, and disease management throughout the aquaculture sector.
News
A single shot of HPV vaccine may be enough to fight cervical cancer, study finds
WASHINGTON -- A single HPV vaccination appears just as effective as two doses at preventing the viral infection that causes cervical cancer, researchers reported Wednesday. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is very common and spread [...]
New technique overcomes technological barrier in 3D brain imaging
Scientists at the Swiss Light Source SLS have succeeded in mapping a piece of brain tissue in 3D at unprecedented resolution using X-rays, non-destructively. The breakthrough overcomes a long-standing technological barrier that had limited [...]
Scientists Uncover Hidden Blood Pattern in Long COVID
Researchers found persistent microclot and NET structures in Long COVID blood that may explain long-lasting symptoms. Researchers examining Long COVID have identified a structural connection between circulating microclots and neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). The [...]
This Cellular Trick Helps Cancer Spread, but Could Also Stop It
Groups of normal cbiells can sense far into their surroundings, helping explain cancer cell migration. Understanding this ability could lead to new ways to limit tumor spread. The tale of the princess and the [...]
New mRNA therapy targets drug-resistant pneumonia
Bacteria that multiply on surfaces are a major headache in health care when they gain a foothold on, for example, implants or in catheters. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have found [...]
Current Heart Health Guidelines Are Failing To Catch a Deadly Genetic Killer
New research reveals that standard screening misses most people with a common inherited cholesterol disorder. A Mayo Clinic study reports that current genetic screening guidelines overlook most people who have familial hypercholesterolemia, an inherited disorder that [...]
Scientists Identify the Evolutionary “Purpose” of Consciousness
Summary: Researchers at Ruhr University Bochum explore why consciousness evolved and why different species developed it in distinct ways. By comparing humans with birds, they show that complex awareness may arise through different neural architectures yet [...]
Novel mRNA therapy curbs antibiotic-resistant infections in preclinical lung models
Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and collaborators have reported early success with a novel mRNA-based therapy designed to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. The findings, published in Nature Biotechnology, show that in [...]
New skin-permeable polymer delivers insulin without needles
A breakthrough zwitterionic polymer slips through the skin’s toughest barriers, carrying insulin deep into tissue and normalizing blood sugar, offering patients a painless alternative to daily injections. A recent study published in the journal Nature examines [...]
Multifunctional Nanogels: A Breakthrough in Antibacterial Strategies
Antibiotic resistance is a growing concern - from human health to crop survival. A new study successfully uses nanogels to target and almost entirely inhibit the bacteria P. Aeruginosa. Recently published in Angewandte Chemie, the study [...]
Nanoflowers rejuvenate old and damaged human cells by replacing their mitochondria
Biomedical researchers at Texas A&M University may have discovered a way to stop or even reverse the decline of cellular energy production—a finding that could have revolutionary effects across medicine. Dr. Akhilesh K. Gaharwar [...]
The Stunning New Push to Protect the Invisible 99% of Life
Scientists worldwide have joined forces to build the first-ever roadmap for conserving Earth’s vast invisible majority—microbes. Their new IUCN Specialist Group reframes conservation by elevating microbial life to the same urgency as plants and [...]
Scientists Find a Way to Help the Brain Clear Alzheimer’s Plaques Naturally
Scientists have discovered that the brain may have a built-in way to fight Alzheimer’s. By activating a protein called Sox9, researchers were able to switch on star-shaped brain cells known as astrocytes and turn them into [...]
Vision can be rebooted in adults with amblyopia, study suggests
Temporarily anesthetizing the retina briefly reverts the activity of the visual system to that observed in early development and enables growth of responses to the amblyopic eye, new research shows. In the common vision [...]
Ultrasound-activated Nanoparticles Kill Liver Cancer and Activate Immune System
A new ultrasound-guided nanotherapy wipes out liver tumors while training the immune system to keep them from coming back. The study, published in Nano Today, introduces a biodegradable nanoparticle system that combines sonodynamic therapy and cell [...]
Magnetic nanoparticles that successfully navigate complex blood vessels may be ready for clinical trials
Every year, 12 million people worldwide suffer a stroke; many die or are permanently impaired. Currently, drugs are administered to dissolve the thrombus that blocks the blood vessel. These drugs spread throughout the entire [...]
