The Gene Regulatory Roles of Herbal Extracts on the Growth, Immune System, and Reproduction of Fish.

The crucial need for safe and healthy aquatic animals obligates researchers in aquaculture to investigate alternative and beneficial additives. Medicinal herbals and their extracts are compromised with diverse effects on the performances of aquatic animals. These compounds can affect growth performance and stimulate the immune system when used in fish diet.

Mycotoxin zearalenone induced gonadal impairment and altered gene expression in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of adult female zebrafish (Danio rerio).

In the present study, we aimed to assess the adverse effects of zearalenone (ZEA) at environmentally relevant concentrations (0.5, 1, 5 and 10 μg l ) on hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis associated reproductive function using zebrafish model. ZEA was exposed to female zebrafish for 21 days to assess growth indices such as condition factor, hepatosomatic index, gonadosomatic index and caspase 3 activity.