Detoxification effect of sodium thiosulfate on cadmium poisoning in Litopenaeus vannamei and the mechanisms of intestinal flora regulation

Cadmium (Cd) is currently one of the heavy metals with the highest environmental toxicity impact. Sodium thiosulfate (Na2S2O3) is a commonly used heavy metal detoxification drug in clinical practice, however, it has not been used for Cd detoxification of Litopenaeus vannamei. The present study used exposure of L. vannamei to 150 μg/L of Cd while mitigating in the addition of 75 μg/L of Na2S2O3 for 28 days. The goal was to study the detoxifying effect of Na2S2O3 on L. vannamei poisoning and its role in intestinal flora. The results showed that the growth of Cd group was inhibited, and the growth rate and weight gain of Cd + ST group were greater than that of Cd group. The function and structure of L. vannamei intestinal microorganisms were significantly changed under Cd stress. This work reveals that Na2S2O3 can mitigate the damage caused by this concentration to L. vannamei to a certain extent. •Sodium thiosulfate has a beneficial effect in reducing cadmium poisoning in Litopenaeus vannamei and can be used for aquaculture production of Litopenaeus vannamei in mild cadmium-contaminated environments.•The growth of the Litopenaeus vannamei and its effect on intestinal flora under cadmium stress were analyzed.•To analyze the detoxification effect of Sodium thiosulfate on cadmium poisoning in the Litopenaeus vannamei.•The present study is the first experiment to investigate the mitigating effect of sodium thiosulfate on cadmium poisoning in Litopenaeus vannamei and its effect on its intestinal flora using 16s rRNA analysis.