The Multifunctional Role of Glutathione in Aquaculture

I. Hidden Pain Points in Aquaculture: Stress and Metabolic Disorders Restrict Benefits

In intensive aquaculture systems, fish and crustaceans often face multiple survival pressures: excessive feeding of high-fat and high-protein diets, accumulation of toxins such as ammonia nitrogen and nitrite at the pond bottom, environmental stress caused by sudden weather changes (e.g., heavy rains, high temperatures), and water quality deterioration due to algal blooms collapse. These issues directly lead to slow growth, hepatopancreas damage, decreased immunity, and poor meat quality in cultured organisms. In severe cases, they trigger large-scale mortality, becoming a core bottleneck restricting aquaculture efficiency.

Glutathione (GSH) — an active tripeptide widely present in living organisms — is emerging as a "key nutrient" to address these pain points with its multi-dimensional physiological functions.

II. Four Core Roles of Glutathione in Aquaculture

1. Alleviate Stress and Break Growth Inhibition

Both metabolic stress from high-fat diets and environmental stress from temperature fluctuations or water quality changes can activate the oxidative stress pathway in cultured animals, inhibiting the secretion of growth hormones. Glutathione regulates the redox balance in the body, scavenges excess free radicals, and reduces the release of stress hormones (e.g., cortisol). This alleviates the inhibitory effect of stress on growth, helping cultured organisms maintain a stable growth rate even in harsh environments.

2. Antioxidant + Immune Regulation: Dual Protection for Health

As an important antioxidant in organisms, glutathione works synergistically with superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during metabolism, avoiding lipid peroxidation damage to cells. Meanwhile, it regulates the activity of immune cells (e.g., macrophages, lymphocytes), enhances antibody production capacity, improves the resistance of cultured animals to bacteria and viruses, and reduces the risk of diseases.

3. Improve Lipid Metabolism and Prevent Hepatobiliary Diseases

High-fat and high-protein diets are commonly used to promote rapid growth and fattening of aquatic animals. However, long-term feeding can lead to fat accumulation in the liver (hepatopancreas), triggering metabolic diseases such as fatty liver and hepatopancreas atrophy. Glutathione activates the activity of fatty acid oxidase, promoting the catabolism of fat in the liver. It also enhances the liver's detoxification function, effectively improving lipid metabolism disorders, preventing hepatobiliary damage, and maintaining the normal function of digestive organs.

4. Enhance Aquaculture Quality and Increase Commercial Value

Glutathione not only improves the growth performance of cultured animals but also directly enhances their commercial quality. On one hand, it protects the integrity of muscle cells, reduces myoglobin oxidation, improves the color, texture, and flavor of meat, and avoids problems such as tough meat and off-odors. On the other hand, during the fattening period of crustaceans (e.g., whiteleg shrimp, Chinese mitten crabs), it provides sufficient material and energy support for gonad development, promotes the accumulation of crab roe and crab paste, and improves product grades.

III. Practical Cases: Practical Applications of Glutathione in Aquaculture

Case 1: Whiteleg Shrimp High-Density Pond Culture — Solving Hepatopancreas Damage and Sudden Death Issues

Aquaculture Scenario: 

A high-density pond farm in South China with a stocking density of 80,000 shrimp per mu. In the mid-to-late stage (after 60 days), the shrimp frequently experienced yellowing hepatopancreas, blurred outlines, and decreased plumpness, accompanied by sporadic sudden death. Especially after heavy rains or algal blooms collapse, problems such as swimming out of ponds and cramping intensified, with a mortality rate as high as 15%-20%.

Solution: Add a compound liver-protecting product containing glutathione (glutathione + bile acid + phospholipid compound) to the basic formulated feed at a ratio of 0.2% of the feed weight. Mix evenly and feed continuously for 20 days, with a 1-day feed break every 10 days, combined with water exchange to improve water quality.

Application Effects:

• After 10 days, the color of the shrimp's hepatopancreas recovered to a healthy brownish-yellow, with clear outlines and significantly improved plumpness.

• The sudden death rate caused by hepatopancreas problems in the mid-to-late stage of culture dropped to below 5%.

• During two heavy rain stress events, the shrimp did not experience large-scale pond swimming, cramping was reduced by 80%, and stress resistance was significantly enhanced.

Mechanism Analysis: The hepatopancreas of whiteleg shrimp is the core organ for digestion, detoxification, and immunity. Toxins at the pond bottom (e.g., hydrogen sulfide) and peroxides produced by feed oxidation can directly damage hepatopancreatic cells. Glutathione scavenges free radicals generated during toxin metabolism, protects the integrity of hepatopancreatic cell membranes, and synergizes with bile acids to promote fat digestion, maintaining the normal secretion and detoxification functions of the hepatopancreas.

Case 2: Chinese Mitten Crab Fattening Period Culture — Improving Crab Roe Plumpness and Transportation Survival Rate

Aquaculture Scenario:

 A Chinese mitten crab breeding base in Xinghua, Jiangsu. During the late fattening period (September-October), to increase the yield of crab roe and crab paste, high-protein (crude protein ≥40%) and high-fat (crude fat ≥12%) fresh frozen small fish and formulated feed were fed. This led to liver whitening and erosion in some crabs, poor gonad development, and a transportation mortality rate of 10% before listing.

Solution: During the fattening period (mid-August to early October), add glutathione (purity ≥98%) to the feed at a dosage of 500mg/kg feed, or select compound additives rich in glutathione precursors (e.g., γ-glutamylcysteine, yeast extract). Feed continuously until 10 days before listing.

Application Effects:

• The liver (hepatopancreas) of the crabs was golden yellow, without whitening or erosion, and the health rate reached over 95%.

• Gonad development was plump, the proportion of crab roe and crab paste in body weight increased by 15%-20%, and the commercial grade was significantly improved.

• During the transportation before listing, the survival rate increased to over 95%, and the mortality rate was greatly reduced.

Mechanism Analysis: High-fat feed is prone to inducing oxidative stress in Chinese mitten crabs, leading to liver fat accumulation and hepatocyte damage, which in turn affects gonad development. Glutathione promotes fat metabolism and toxin excretion, protects liver function, provides sufficient energy and nutrients for gonad development, and enhances the physical fitness of crabs, improving their resistance to transportation stress.

IV. Application Recommendations for Glutathione in Aquaculture

1. Addition Method: It is recommended to use synergistically with bile acids, phospholipids, vitamin C, etc., to enhance antioxidant and liver-protecting effects. It can be directly added to formulated feed or mixed evenly through premix, avoiding high-temperature processing to maintain activity.

2. Suitable Scenarios: Particularly suitable for high-density culture, high-fat feed feeding, mid-to-late culture stages (high hepatopancreas load), and scenarios with frequent environmental stress (heavy rains, high temperatures, algal blooms collapse).

3. Dosage Control: Adjust according to the cultured species and scenarios. The general recommended dosage is 300-800mg/kg feed, which can be appropriately increased during the fattening period or stress period.

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