Efficacy and antiparasitic mechanism of 10-gingerol isolated from ginger Zingiber officinale against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in grass carp

Catechol compounds as dual-targeting agents for fish protection against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis infections

Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing sectors in global food production, recognized as a significant contributor to poverty alleviation, food security, and income generation. However, the frequent occurrence of diseases caused by pathogen infections result in reduced yields and economic losses, posing a substantial constraint to the sustainable development of aquaculture. Here, our study identified that four catechol compounds, quercetin, luteolin, caffeic acid, and chlorogenic acid, exhibited potent antiparasitic effects against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in both, in vitro and in vivo. The parasite is recognized as one of the most pathogenic to fish worldwide. Using a combination of in silico methods, the dipeptidyl peptidase (DPP) was identified as a critical target for catechol compounds. The two hydroxyl radicals of the catechol group were essential for its binding to and interacting with the DPP protein. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses indicated that catechol compounds disrupt pathways associated with the metabolism and growth of I. multifiliis, thereby exerting antiparasitic effects. Furthermore, these compounds attenuated the expression of proinflammatory cytokines in vivo in fish and promoted macrophage polarization toward M2 phenotype by inhibiting the STAT1 signaling pathway. The dual activity of catechol compounds, acting as both direct antiparasitic and anti-inflammatory agents in fish, offers a promising therapeutic approach for combating I. multifiliis infections in aquaculture.

An update about beneficial effects of medicinal plants in aquaculture: A review

Aquaculture is an essential and growing component of agricultural and global ecosystems worldwide. Aquaculture provides more than 25% of the total aquatic food consumption by humans. The development of the aquaculture industry should be followed in successive industrial years, and therefore it is necessary to pay attention to the management and type of farming system that is compatible with the environment. The use of antibiotics for disease control has been criticised for their negative effects, including the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the suppression of the immune system and the environment, and the accumulation of residue in aquatic tissues. The use of these products reduces the need for treatments, enhances the effect of vaccines, and, in turn, improves production indicators. Medicinal plants have increasingly been used in recent years as a disease control strategy in aquaculture, boosting the immune system of aquatic animals and helping to develop strong resistance to a wide range of pathogens. Therefore, this review aims to provide an overview of the recent evidence on the beneficial use of medicinal plants to promote growth and strengthen the immune system in farmed aquatic animals.

Influence of Diet on the Bioavailability of Active Components from Zingiber officinale Using an In Vitro Digestion Model

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) is a plant known all over the world that is used as a spice and as an ingredient in drinks, dietary supplements, and cosmetics. The growing availability of its fresh rhizomes makes it even more likely to be used in the diet, mainly due to its beneficial health properties and high content of polyphenols (gingerols and shogaols). The main goal and motivation of the authors was to assess the bioavailability of active substances contained in the extract from ginger rhizomes in the presence of various types of diets using the in vitro digestion method, enabling simulation of the processes occurring during the digestion and absorption of metabolites in the small intestine. For the qualitative and quantitative analyses, the HPLC-MS (High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry) and HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography) techniques were used, respectively. Based on the obtained results, it was found that the best bioavailability of the selected ginger polyphenols (6-gingerol, 8-gingerdione, 8-shogaol, and 10-gingerdione) was estimated for a high-fiber diet, while the weakest results were obtained for standard and basic diets. In the case of the high-fiber diet, the bioavailability of the mentioned compounds was estimated as 33.3, 21.4, 6.73, and 21.0%, while for the basic diet, it was only 21.3, 5.3, 2.0, and 1.0%, respectively.

Zingerone inhibits biofilm formation and enhances antibiotic efficacy against Salmonella biofilm

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi is a significant cause of typhoid fever and a major public health problem. The ability of S. Typhi to form biofilms on living and non-living surfaces results in antibiotic resistance and poses a major challenge in health care. In this study, we assessed the ability of zingerone alone and in combination with antibiotics against the motility phenotypes and biofilm-forming ability of S. Typhi. Results showed that zingerone effectively reduced the swimming, swarming, and twitching phenotypes and exhibited biofilm inhibition potential. Moreover, zingerone enhanced the antibiofilm activity of ciprofloxacin and kanamycin. Microscopic analysis revealed a thinner biofilm in the presence of zingerone, which may have enhanced the antibiofilm efficacy of the antibiotics. The microscopic analysis showed that the presence of zingerone resulted in a reduction in the thickness of the biofilm, potentially increasing the antibiofilm efficacy of the antibiotics. In silico molecular docking and simulation studies further indicated that zingerone may bind to the fimbriae subunits (FimA, FimC, FimH, and FimY) of S. Typhi and form stable interactions. These findings provide important insights into the potential of zingerone to target biofilm-associated Salmonella infections. Further research is considered a promising option for designing innovative approaches to prevent infections associated with biofilms. Schematic representation of the role of zingerone in biofilm, motility inhibition and molecular interactions with biofilm associated proteins.

Effect of amla and ginger powders on quality criteria of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fingers

Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) meat isn't preferred by consumers in compared to other fish species meat, thus to enhance the use of catfish meat, ready to eat catfish fingers were prepared with some plants additives (amla and ginger powder). The mean objective of this study was to assess the impact of amla and ginger powder on catfish finger qualities in terms of physical, chemical, microbiological, and sensorial parameters under stored at a low temperature (5 ± 1 °C). The obtained results were compared with those of a control sample (basic formula) and a sample containing the synthetic antioxidant. During the storage period, the levels of pH, thiobarbituric acid, total volatile basic nitrogen, trimethylamine, total bacteria count, psychrophilic bacteria, molds and yeasts counts increased dramatically, although the values remained within acceptable ranges. The findings also revealed, that amla and ginger powder considerably (p < 0.05) reduced the changes in quality parameters, as well as there was a considerable increase in the quality parameter in all treated samples than in the control. Finally, amla and ginger powder can be a substitute for synthetic antioxidants and antimicrobials. These findings suggest that the powder of amla and ginger are suitable for use as a natural antioxidants and antimicrobials to extend the shelf-life of animal products.

Impact of Thermal Processing on the Composition of Secondary Metabolites of Ginger Rhizome-A Review

Ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) is both a commonly used spice, and an ingredient of various dietary supplements and medications. Its diverse applications result from the range of health benefits that this plant brings thanks to the presence of active compounds (secondary metabolites) in the matrix. Even if several studies underline a stronger pharmacological activity of fresh ginger rhizomes, the unprocessed plant is relatively rarely used. Ginger rhizomes are subjected to thermal processing, such as boiling, blanching, steam drying and others, at different temperature and time settings. Additionally, freeze-drying of the rhizomes is used as the first step in the preparation of raw material. It was proved that the composition of secondary metabolites of the Zingiber officinale rhizome changes upon the influence of temperature. Therefore, the aim of the review was to put together scientific results on the impact of traditional and unconventional methods of heat treatment on ginger rhizomes and to show the compositional differences that they induce in the plant matrix. Variations in the content and the transformation of some compounds into other metabolites will be also discussed, with particular attention paid to two major groups of secondary metabolites present in the plant, namely, phenolics and terpenes.

In Vitro Assessment of Berberine against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis in Goldfish

Ichthyophthirius multifiliis is a pathogenic ciliate parasite, which infects almost all freshwater teleost fish and leads to significant economic losses. The present study aimed to evaluate the acute toxicity of berberine to the free-living stages of I. multifiliis, that is, theronts and tomonts. Our results indicated that 99.30% of I. multifiliis theronts were killed by a concentration of 15 mg/L berberine during the 4 h exposure time, while berberine had no effect on protomonts. Nevertheless, berberine at a concentration of 5 mg/L could effectively reduce the release of theronts from tomonts treated for 4 h. Additionally, according to the transmission electron microscopy results, berberine at 15 mg/L could strongly change the shape of protomonts, destroy their organelles, and significantly decrease the number of ribosomes. The median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) of berberine for goldfish at 96 h was 528.44 mg/L, which was almost 67 times the median effective concentration (EC₅₀) of berberine for killing theronts (7.86 mg/L). The results demonstrated that berberine could be an effective and safe potential parasiticide for killing I. multifiliis.

The effective components of herbal medicines used for prevention and control of fish diseases

The increasing demand for fish consumption has promoted the rapid development of fish aquaculture. With the continuous expansion of culture scale and the deterioration of culture environment, various diseases have broken out frequently, leading to huge economic losses to fish farming. Antibiotics and chemicals are common options to prevent and control of fish diseases, but their use is now restricted or even banned due to serious problems such as drug residues, pathogen resistance, and environmental pollution. Herbs and their extracts have increasingly become promising supplements and alternatives, because of their effectiveness, safety, environmental friendliness and less drug resistance. The application of herbal medicines in prevention and control of fish diseases is mainly attributed to the powerful immune enhancement, antioxidation or direct anti-pathogenic efficacies of their effective components, including mainly polyphenols, polysaccharides, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and essential oils. Recently these herbal active ingredients have been extensively studied for their efficacies in prevention and control of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal diseases in fish. In the present paper, we comprehensively summarize the research progress of the active ingredients of herbal medicines used for prevention and control of fish diseases, especially of their action mechanisms, and highlight the potential application of the herbal medicines in fish aquaculture.

Dietary Supplementation with Ginger (Zingiber officinale) Residue from Juice Extraction Improves Juvenile Black Rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) Growth Performance, Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Resistance to Streptococcus iniae Infection

Plant-derived feed additives provide cost effective and environmentally friendly alternatives to antibiotics for improving fish performance in aquaculture. An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary ginger residue from juice extraction (GRJE) on juvenile black rockfish (Sebastes schlegelii) growth performance, antioxidant enzyme activities, and resistance to Streptococcus iniae infection. Juvenile rockfish (n = 450; initial weight = 2.2 ± 0.01 g) were randomly distributed into 30 L rectangular tanks (30 fish per tank). Five experimental diets with GRJE concentrations of 0% (control), 0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1% were prepared in triplicate. Three groups of fish were randomly assigned to each diet and fed to apparent satiation twice daily. After the feeding trial, fish were challenged with S. iniae, and cumulative survival was observed for six days. Growth parameters, feed efficiency, and the protein efficiency ratio showed a quadratic correlation with the GRJE concentration in the fish diet. Proximate composition and plasma chemistry were not significantly affected. Plasma lysozyme, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and catalase activities linearly increased with increasing GRJE supplementation levels. Moreover, survival in the S. iniae challenge test was significantly higher in fish fed diets supplemented with 0.75–1% GRJE. Our findings demonstrated that 0.75% GRJE dietary supplementation enhanced the growth performance, antioxidant activity, and disease resistance of juvenile black rockfish with no adverse effects.

Evaluation of the inhibitory effect of Zingiber officinale rhizome on Babesia and Theileria parasites

The effect of Zingiber officinale rhizome methanolic extract (ZOR) on the in vitro growth of bovine Babesia (B. bovis, B. bigemina, and B. divergens) and equine piroplasm (B. caballi, and Theileria equi) parasites and on the growth of B. microti in mice was evaluated in this study. The possible in vitro synergistic interaction between ZOR and either diminazene aceturate (DA) or potent Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) hits from the malaria box was also investigated. In vitro, ZOR reduced the growth of B. bovis, B. bigemina, T. equi, and B. caballi in a dose-dependent manner. B. divergens was the most susceptible parasite to the in vitro inhibitory effect of ZOR. DA and MMV compounds enhanced the in vitro inhibitory antibabesial activity of ZOR. 12.5 mg/kg DA when administrated in combination with ZOR in mice exhibited a significant inhibition (P < 0.05) in B. microti growth better than those observed after treatment with 25 mg/kg DA monotherapy. These findings suggest that ZOR could be a viable medicinal plant for babesiosis treatment, particularly when combined with a modest dose of either DA or powerful anti-B. bigemina MMV hits.

Antiparasitic Efficacy of Crude Plant Extracts and Compounds Purified from Plants against the Fish Monogenean Neobenedenia girellae

Neobenedenia girellae is a pathogenic ectoparasite of many marine fishes, and it causes major epidemics in marine aquaculture. In this study, the efficacy of ethanol extracts of huangqi Astragalus membranaceus (known as milkvetch in North America), guanzhong Dryopteris setosa (known as beaded wood fern in North America), gancao Glycyrrhiza uralensis (known as Chinese licorice in North America), danshen Salvia miltiorrhiza (known as red sage in North America), and pomegranate Punica granatum, as well as seven phytochemicals (10-gingerol, curcumin, cynatratoside-C, emodin, kuwanon-G, kuwanon-O, and sophoraflavanone-G), against adult N. girellae was investigated. In vitro results indicated that pomegranate extract killed all adult N. girellae at a 62.5-mg/L concentration with an 8-h exposure, but gancao extract did not cause 100% mortality until a 1,000-mg/L concentration was used. Additionally, all adult N. girellae died after an 8-h exposure to cynatratoside-C, kuwanon-G, kuwanon-O, or sophoraflavanone-G at a concentration of 125 mg/L. Curcumin, emodin, and 10-gingerol at a concentration of 1,000 mg/L did not kill all parasites after an 8-h exposure. These findings demonstrate that plant extracts and active phytochemicals are potential sources of botanical drugs for controlling N. girellae infection in aquaculture.

Comparative proteomic analysis provides insight into the key proteins as potential targets underlying the effect of malachite green against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis

Target identification is important for drug discovery. Unfortunately, no drug targets have been found in Ichthyophthirius multifiliis until now and further limited development of the novel drug for Ichthyophthiriasis. In this study, an iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomic analysis was used to find the target of malachite green (MG), exhibiting greater efficacy than the existing drugs, against I. multifiliis trophonts in situ. We also verified the proteomic results by RT-qPCR, TEM and cell apoptosis assay. Our results showed that major variations in protein abundance were found among many of the ribosome proteins, indicating ribosome might be a candidate target. Furthermore, GO and KEGG pathway analyses of differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) revealed that ribosome and PI3K-Akt signalling pathway were remarkably enriched. Taken together, the above DEPs were also verified by RT-qPCR and morphological observations. This study provides insights into the key proteins enriched in PI3K-Akt signal pathway and ribosome pathway as potential targets of MG killing I. multifiliis, which could be served as targets for other less toxic drugs and be tested as potential treatments for I. multifiliis.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract affects growth performance, body composition, haematology, serum and mucosal immune parameters in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

The present study was designed to investigate the dietary effects of ginger extract (Zingiber officinale) on common carp (Cyprinus carpio). Three hundred and sixty fish weighing 10.9 ± 0.17 g were randomly divided into four experimental treatments in triplicates. Four experimental diets were designed containing different inclusion levels of ginger extract as 0% (control), 0.1%, 0.2%, and 0.4% named T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively, and fish were fed 3% of body weight daily for 60 days. Feed conversion ratio, weight gain, and specific growth rate parameters were measured higher in the groups fed with ginger extract compared to the control, especially in T3 (P < 0.05). Also, fish treated with ginger extract showed lower carcass moisture and lipid, but higher protein contents compared to the control. The results showed significant increase in the number of erythrocytes and leucocytes, as well as the level of hematocrit and hemoglobin in fish fed with supplemented diets. In addition, significant enhancement was observed in cases of serum parameters, including total protein, albumin, globulin, lysozyme, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and total immunoglobulins in T3 and T4 compared to the control. The lowest serum cortisol level was noticed in T3. Furthermore, the T3 group showed the highest activities of skin mucus lysozyme, alkaline phosphatase, and protease (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the present results demonstrated that Zingiber officinale extract at a 0.2% level can effectively improve the growth and health status of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio).