The Effect of Simultaneous Administration of Weissella confusa Probiotic and Astaxanthin Pigment on Selected Immune Indices of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Syavash Asadi 1
Shafigh Shafiei 2
Masoud Ghorbanpoor 3
Esamail Pirali 4
1 ¹ Ph.D. Student in Aquatic Animal Health and Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
2 Department of Food Hygiene and Quality Control, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
3 Department of Pathobiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
4 Department of Fishery Science, Faculty of Natural Resources and Earth Sciences, Shahrekord University, Shahrekord, Iran
10.22034/ijvcs.2026.14888.1090
Abstract
Aquaculture, as a key component of global food production, requires strategies to reduce disease-related losses and improve the health of cultured fish. Nuritional supplements such as probiotics and antioxidants have been recognized as promising tools for enhancing fish immunity.
In this study, the simultaneous effect of the probiotic Weissella confusa and the antioxidant pigment astaxanthin on the expression of immune-related genes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was investigated. A total of 240 fish were divided into four treatments (control, probiotic, astaxanthin, and combined; each treatment in three replicates with 20 fish per replicate) and fed for 28 days. Expression levels of IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, and TNF-α were measured in the anterior kidney and spleen using qPCR.
The combined treatment showed the highest (P<0.05) upregulation of IL-10, IL-12, IL-17, and TNF-α compared to other groups. IFN-γ expression increased on day 14 in the combined group but declined by day 28. Moreover, IL-6 expression was significantly higher (P<0.05) in the probiotic and combined groups on day 28. The temporal expression patterns indicated dynamic regulation and synergistic effects of probiotic and astaxanthin supplementation.
It appears that concurrent administration of Weissella confusa and astaxanthin enhances molecular immune markers in rainbow trout and may serve as an effective nutritional strategy to improve health and disease resistance in aquaculture production.
Keywords
Rainbow trout
probiotic
Astaxanthin
cytokine
Weissella confusa
Subjects
 
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Iranian Journal of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
Volume 19, Issue 2 - Serial Number 33
Fall and Winter 2025/2026
March 2026
Pages 15-24