Immunomodulation in Crustacean Aquaculture
Summary
Immunomodulation in crustacean aquaculture encompasses strategies to enhance the innate immune defences of farmed species such as shrimp and crabs. Unlike vertebrates, crustaceans rely exclusively on innate mechanisms, including cellular responses mediated by haemocytes and humoral factors such as antimicrobial peptides, lectins and the prophenoloxidase cascade. Stressors in intensive culture—ranging from crowding and water quality fluctuations to pathogen exposure—can compromise these defences, leading to disease outbreaks and economic losses. To mitigate risk and reduce reliance on antibiotics, research has focused on dietary immunostimulants (plant extracts, seaweed polysaccharides, probiotics), selective breeding for disease resistance, and environmental management. Such approaches aim to up-regulate haemocyte activity, enhance phenoloxidase and respiratory burst responses, and modulate gene expression of key immune effectors. Ultimately, immunomodulation offers a sustainable route to bolster disease resilience, improve animal welfare and secure global seafood production.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have shown that Morinda citrifolia fruit extract markedly improves resistance of Penaeus vannamei post-larvae to Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Dietary inclusion of the methanol extract at graded doses led to significant increases in survival under bacterial challenge, concomitant with enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities and reduced hepatopancreatic cell degeneration. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analyses identified multiple bioactive compounds likely responsible for immunostimulatory effects. This work highlights the promise of plant-derived extracts to strengthen crustacean innate immunity through dietary interventions.
Immunomodulation in Crustacean Aquaculture publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in immunomodulation in crustacean aquaculture across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Haemocyte: Circulating immune cell in invertebrates responsible for phagocytosis, encapsulation and melanisation.
Prophenoloxidase system: Enzymatic cascade that converts phenols to quinones, leading to melanin deposition around pathogens.
Respiratory burst: Rapid generation of reactive oxygen species by immune cells to eliminate invading microorganisms.
Bioactive compound: A molecule with specific biological activity, such as immunostimulation or antioxidant function.
Antioxidant enzyme: Enzyme (e.g. superoxide dismutase, catalase) that neutralises reactive oxygen species to protect host tissues.
References
- Morinda citrifolia fruit extract enhances the resistance of Penaeus vannamei to Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. Scientific Reports (2024).
- Comparison and Evaluation of Four Species of Macro-Algaes as Dietary Ingredients in Litopenaeus vannamei Under Normal Rearing and WSSV Challenge Conditions: Effect on Growth, Immune Response, and Intestinal Microbiota. Frontiers in Physiology (2019).
- Impact of Dietary Administration of Seaweed Polysaccharide on Growth, Microbial Abundance, and Growth and Immune-Related Genes Expression of The Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). Life (2023).
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