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Gene expression, Antioxidant Responses, and metabolomic Profiling Reveal Chlorella vulgaris Mediated Protection against acetaminophen and microplastic Co-toxicity in Oreochromis niloticus
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In tilapia fish exposed to the drug acetaminophen combined with microplastics for 14 days, researchers measured increased inflammation, oxidative stress markers, and altered metabolism. Fish fed Chlorella (a type of algae) in their diet showed reduced inflammation and oxidative stress and more normal metabolic markers compared to fish not given Chlorella.
Abstract Emerging water pollutants such as pharmaceutical (PhACs) and microplastics (MPs) are progressively detected in aquatic environments, raising alarms about their mutual toxicological effects on non-target biota, particularly fish. Although the individual effects of these pollutants have been investigated, there is little data available on their interactions and potential strategies to reduce toxicity. This study was designed to explore the synergistic effects of acetaminophen (APAP) and MPs on inflammatory, antioxidant, and metabolic responses in O. niloticus for 14 days, and to evaluate the protective potential of dietary Chlorella supplementation. Fish subjected to APAP alone or coupled with MPs exhibited marked upregulation of inflammatory (TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β) and antioxidant (SOD, CAT, and GPx) genes, increased oxidative/nitrosative stress biomarkers (XO, NO, and MDA), and significant alterations in antioxidant enzyme activities. Co-exposure revealed noticeable metabolic fluctuations in amino acids, lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), and fatty acids levels and their related pathways. In contrast, Chlorella -supplemented treatments exhibited significant restoration of antioxidant defences, reduction of inflammatory responses, and normalization of the altered metabolites along with their enriched pathways, particularly proline, arginine, and glycerophospholipid metabolism, along with biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. The present findings displayed a clear relationship between the transcriptional upregulation of antioxidant defense genes and the corresponding physiological and metabolic responses across the experimental groups of O. niloticus . Moreover, the study provides evidence that Chlorella supplementation can mitigate the combined toxicity of pharmaceuticals and microplastics in fish, thereby offering a sustainable dietary strategy to enhance fish resilience in contaminated aquatic environments.
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Tilapia fish were exposed to polystyrene microplastics of different sizes, and researchers found that the particles caused liver damage including fat metabolism disruption, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Interestingly, adding the green algae Chlorella to the exposure partially helped reduce the harmful effects, suggesting that natural microorganisms may offer some protective benefit against microplastic toxicity in fish.
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Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics of different sizes affect the intestinal health of tilapia and whether Chlorella algae supplementation could alleviate the damage. They found that microplastics caused intestinal histological changes and disrupted enzyme activities, gene expression, and gut microbiota in the fish. The addition of Chlorella showed potential to mitigate some of the intestinal damage caused by nanoscale microplastic exposure.
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Researchers examined the combined toxic effects of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics with lead ions on the freshwater alga Chlorella, focusing on protein and enzyme-level responses. They found that co-exposure altered protein expression and enzymatic activity in ways that differed from single-pollutant exposure. The study highlights that microplastics and heavy metals can interact to produce complex biomolecular responses in aquatic organisms.
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Researchers examined the combined toxicity of nonylphenol and several types of microplastics on the freshwater microalgae Chlorella pyrenoidosa. The study found that microplastics of different polymer types and sizes interacted with nonylphenol in complex ways, affecting algal growth, chlorophyll fluorescence, and antioxidant enzyme activity, demonstrating that co-exposure to microplastics and organic pollutants can produce combined toxic effects.
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Freshwater snakehead fish exposed to polystyrene microplastics for four weeks developed inflammation, cell death, and tissue damage in their liver, intestines, kidneys, and gills. The damage worsened with higher microplastic concentrations and involved disruption of the fish's antioxidant defenses and immune system. Since snakehead is a commonly consumed fish in Asia, these findings raise questions about whether microplastics in aquaculture environments could affect the safety of fish as human food.
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