Page 112 - 《水产学报》2025年第10期

李森栋，等 水产学报, 2025, 49(10): 109609

provide a framework for advancing traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) applications in aquaculture.
Key words: Pelteobagrus vachelli; Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (WS); oxidative stress; network pharmacology; hepatopro-
tective effects
Corresponding author: XU Hongyan. E-mail: xhy20210104@swu.edu.cn
Funding projects: National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFD2400902); Fundamental Research
Funds for the Central Universities (SWU020014); Southwest University Municipal Training Program of Innovation and Entre-
preneurship for Undergraduates(X202510635214)

Stress is defined as the organism’s physiolo- new studies have been extended into more innovat-
gical response to external or internal stimuli. The ive approaches, including genetic selection for
compensatory response triggered by stress is named stress tolerant strains, immunomodulation, and
as stress response. In aquaculture, fish are fre- especially the application of functional feed addit-
quently exposed to acute stressors such as transport- ives [10-11] . Therefore, the studies on the effects of
ation, air exposure, handling, or high-density rear- dietary traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on
ing. These stimuli rapidly activate the hypothalamus- stress-relief in animals have attracted considerable
[12]
pituitary-interrenal (HPI) axis, resulting in elevated attentions in recent years . Among herbs, With-
cortisol secretion and systemic effects on immunity, ania somnifera (WS) was paid attention to for its
oxidative balance, and metabolism. It is well properties of neuroendocrine regulation. However,
known, most of fish species are highly sensitive to the application of WS in aquaculture remains lim-
various environmental stressors, which are detri- ited, and the mechanisms whereby WS modulates
mental to organisms’ health, growth, and overall stress responses and hepatic health in fish are
survival. Stress responses in fish can be induced by largely unclear. Numerous reports have demon-
factors, such as changes of water quality, temperat- strated that herbal remedies, such as Rhodiola
ure fluctuations, overcrowding, handling, and rosea, WS, and Ginseng, possess adaptogenic prop-
exposure to pathogens [1-3] . Most of external stressors erties, being helpful to modulate the stress response
can trigger a cascade of physiological responses in in animals [13-17] . Similarly, herbal extracts were
fish, including alterations in genome-wide gene reported to enhance the immunity of fish under
[18]
expression, the immune system, metabolism, and stress conditions in Oncorhynchus mykiss . Gener-
behaviors, thus causing fish’s low resistance to dis- ally, the herbs may influence the hypothalamic-pitu-
ease, and even mortality [4-5] . It has been reported that itary-adrenal (HPA) axis and regulate key stress-
stress can lead to higher mortality, lower reproduct- related hormones, thereby reducing the negative
ive success, and other significant economic losses in effects of stress and improving animal welfare and
[6]
the aquaculture industry . This is partly due to the productivity [19]
physiological processes triggered by stress, such as Importantly, the emergence of network phar-
increased cortisol secretion, which further exacer- macology has facilitated the in-depth exploration of
bates the detrimental effects on fish health [7-8] . the pharmacological mechanisms whereby TCM act
Over the years, considerable progress has been in various species. Integrating bioinformatics, sys-
achieved for understanding the mechanisms behind tems biology, and computational models, network
stress responses and developing strategies to mitig- pharmacological analysis has been widely
ate the negative effects on growth and health in fish employed and provided more comprehensive under-
[9]
species . However, these approaches were not standings on how herbal compounds exert their
always effective and practical for aquaculture, and effects on organisms [20-21] . Through the identifica-

https://www.china-fishery.cn 中国水产学会主办 sponsored by China Society of Fisheries
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