Dietary Tea Polyphenols Improve Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota Under Chronic Crowding Stress in Hybrid Crucian Carp

This study systematically investigated the effects of dietary tea polyphenols (TPs, major bioactive polyphenols from <i>Camellia sinensis</i> with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties) on the growth performance and intestinal health of hybrid crucian carp HCC2 under chroni...

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Main Authors: Zhe Yang, Gege Sun, Jinsheng Tao, Weirong Tang, Wenpei Li, Zehong Wei, Qifang Yu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-07-01
Series:Animals
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1983
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author Zhe Yang
Gege Sun
Jinsheng Tao
Weirong Tang
Wenpei Li
Zehong Wei
Qifang Yu
author_facet Zhe Yang
Gege Sun
Jinsheng Tao
Weirong Tang
Wenpei Li
Zehong Wei
Qifang Yu
author_sort Zhe Yang
collection DOAJ
description This study systematically investigated the effects of dietary tea polyphenols (TPs, major bioactive polyphenols from <i>Camellia sinensis</i> with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties) on the growth performance and intestinal health of hybrid crucian carp HCC2 under chronic crowding stress. A low-density control group (44.4 fish/m<sup>3</sup>, basal diet without TPs) and four high-density crowding stress groups (222.2 fish/m<sup>3</sup>) were established, one fed the basal diet without TPs (CS) and three fed basal diets supplemented with 100 (CSLTP), 200 (CSMTP), or 400 (CSHTP) mg/kg TPs. We analyzed the impacts of TPs on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, expression of lipid metabolism-related genes, and intestinal microbiota composition. The results demonstrated that chronic crowding stress significantly suppressed the final body weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate of HCC2, while increasing serum lactate LDH, TG, and ALB and decreasing GLU, LDL-C, ALT, AST, and ALP levels. Dietary TPs supplementation enhanced antioxidant capacity (T-AOC, SOD, CAT, and GSH) and alleviated lipid metabolic disorders by activating the Nrf2/Keap1 and PPARα signaling pathways, thereby upregulating the expression of liver antioxidant genes (<i>CAT</i> and <i>SOD</i>) and fatty acid oxidation genes (<i>CPT1</i> and <i>acox1</i>). Furthermore, intestinal microbiota analysis revealed that chronic crowding stress significantly increased the abundance of Proteobacteria and decreased the proportion of <i>Firmicutes</i> compared to the low-density control. Dietary TPs intervention, particularly at higher doses, partially restored the <i>Firmicutes</i> abundance and reduced the enrichment of potential pathogenic bacteria associated with stress. This study is the first to comprehensively elucidate the mechanism by which TPs alleviate crowding stress through enhanced antioxidant capacity, metabolic regulation, and microbiota remodeling, providing robust theoretical support for the application of plant-based additives in aquaculture.
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spelling doaj-art-5aa425bd3ffa490994d2a10cfecb22e92025-08-20T03:50:16ZengMDPI AGAnimals2076-26152025-07-011513198310.3390/ani15131983Dietary Tea Polyphenols Improve Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota Under Chronic Crowding Stress in Hybrid Crucian CarpZhe Yang0Gege Sun1Jinsheng Tao2Weirong Tang3Wenpei Li4Zehong Wei5Qifang Yu6State Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Developmental Biology of Freshwater Fish, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410081, ChinaThis study systematically investigated the effects of dietary tea polyphenols (TPs, major bioactive polyphenols from <i>Camellia sinensis</i> with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties) on the growth performance and intestinal health of hybrid crucian carp HCC2 under chronic crowding stress. A low-density control group (44.4 fish/m<sup>3</sup>, basal diet without TPs) and four high-density crowding stress groups (222.2 fish/m<sup>3</sup>) were established, one fed the basal diet without TPs (CS) and three fed basal diets supplemented with 100 (CSLTP), 200 (CSMTP), or 400 (CSHTP) mg/kg TPs. We analyzed the impacts of TPs on growth performance, serum biochemical parameters, antioxidant capacity, expression of lipid metabolism-related genes, and intestinal microbiota composition. The results demonstrated that chronic crowding stress significantly suppressed the final body weight, weight gain rate, and specific growth rate of HCC2, while increasing serum lactate LDH, TG, and ALB and decreasing GLU, LDL-C, ALT, AST, and ALP levels. Dietary TPs supplementation enhanced antioxidant capacity (T-AOC, SOD, CAT, and GSH) and alleviated lipid metabolic disorders by activating the Nrf2/Keap1 and PPARα signaling pathways, thereby upregulating the expression of liver antioxidant genes (<i>CAT</i> and <i>SOD</i>) and fatty acid oxidation genes (<i>CPT1</i> and <i>acox1</i>). Furthermore, intestinal microbiota analysis revealed that chronic crowding stress significantly increased the abundance of Proteobacteria and decreased the proportion of <i>Firmicutes</i> compared to the low-density control. Dietary TPs intervention, particularly at higher doses, partially restored the <i>Firmicutes</i> abundance and reduced the enrichment of potential pathogenic bacteria associated with stress. This study is the first to comprehensively elucidate the mechanism by which TPs alleviate crowding stress through enhanced antioxidant capacity, metabolic regulation, and microbiota remodeling, providing robust theoretical support for the application of plant-based additives in aquaculture.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1983tea polyphenolscrucian carpcrowding stressstocking densitylipid metabolismintestinal microbiota
spellingShingle Zhe Yang
Gege Sun
Jinsheng Tao
Weirong Tang
Wenpei Li
Zehong Wei
Qifang Yu
Dietary Tea Polyphenols Improve Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota Under Chronic Crowding Stress in Hybrid Crucian Carp
Animals
tea polyphenols
crucian carp
crowding stress
stocking density
lipid metabolism
intestinal microbiota
title Dietary Tea Polyphenols Improve Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota Under Chronic Crowding Stress in Hybrid Crucian Carp
title_full Dietary Tea Polyphenols Improve Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota Under Chronic Crowding Stress in Hybrid Crucian Carp
title_fullStr Dietary Tea Polyphenols Improve Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota Under Chronic Crowding Stress in Hybrid Crucian Carp
title_full_unstemmed Dietary Tea Polyphenols Improve Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota Under Chronic Crowding Stress in Hybrid Crucian Carp
title_short Dietary Tea Polyphenols Improve Growth Performance and Intestinal Microbiota Under Chronic Crowding Stress in Hybrid Crucian Carp
title_sort dietary tea polyphenols improve growth performance and intestinal microbiota under chronic crowding stress in hybrid crucian carp
topic tea polyphenols
crucian carp
crowding stress
stocking density
lipid metabolism
intestinal microbiota
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/15/13/1983
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