The Interactive Effect of Dietary Curcumin and Silver Nanoparticles on Gut Microbiota of Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Discharge of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into aquatic ecosystems is inevitable due to their vast industrial applications. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the protective effect of dietary curcumin supplementation against AgNPs toxicity to the gut microbiota of common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) including total bacteria count, mesophilic, lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae . Nine different treatments including different combinations of dietary AgNPs (0, 0.05 and 0.15 g/kg feed) and curcumin (0, 0.75 and 1.5 g/kg feed) in three respective replicates were designed. The trial was conducted under natural photoperiod condition for 60 days. Samples were taken on days 20, 40 and 60. Our results showed that dietary AgNPs contamination resulted in reduced intestinal bacterial count in a dose dependent manner, however, dietary curcumin inclusion level of 0.75 g/kg remarkably reduced the toxicity of AgNPs to intestinal microflora of common carp at least at 0.05 g/kg AgNPs ( p