STUDY OF CURCUMIN TREATMENT ON FOREIGN BODY INFLAMMATORY REACTION IN NILE TILAPIA (Oreochromis niloticus)

• Grant number: 25/05691-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2025
• End date: July 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Pathology
• Principal Investigator: Marco Antonio de Andrade Belo
• Grantee: Maria Eduarda Pultz
• Host Institution: Universidade Brasil. Campus Descalvado. Descalvado , SP, Brazil

Abstract

With the increasing development of fish farming in Brazil and the demand for effective strategies for sanitary control of fish farms, it is essential to deepen the knowledge about the immunological mechanisms of fish. Therefore, the present study aims to explore the processes involved in chronic inflammation in teleost fish, focusing on the evaluation of the anti-inflammatory effects of curcumin. This bioactive compound, administered via diet at a dose of 200 mg/kg-1 of body weight in two therapeutic protocols, one with prolonged use (treatment initiation one week before the inflammatory stimulus) and the other with conventional use (treatment initiation together with the inflammatory stimulus), will be investigated for its influence on cell migration and formation of gigantocytes in a foreign body-type response to the implantation of glass coverslips in the subcutaneous tissue of tilapia. For this purpose, 100 young tilapia will be used, housed in 10 tanks, with a capacity of 130 L of water each, consisting of the following treatments: T0 (control), T1 (Prolonged treatment with curcumin) and T2 (Prolonged treatment with curcumin after inflammatory stimulus), in addition to a tenth group (n = 10, physiological standard) to determine the reference values ¿¿for the study. Ten animals per treatment will be evaluated in three periods, that is: two, four and eight days after implantation of glass coverslips in the subcutaneous tissue for collection of blood samples for evaluation of the blood count, reactive oxygen species (ROS), biochemical parameters and somatic analysis of the liver, spleen and kidneys. The implanted coverslips will be evaluated by histological staining (HE) to measure cell accumulation at the site of inflammation, while the splenic tissue will be studied to detect the formation of melanomacrophage centers (MMCs). The expected results should provide important information on the role of curcumin in modulating chronic inflammation in fish, helping to design new experimental models applicable to fish farming. In addition, the safety of the treatments will be verified through biochemical parameters, consolidating the relevance of this compound in sustainable management and in improving fish health conditions.