Nutritional and physiological effects of high-fat diets in finfish: effects on growth, immunity, lipid metabolism, and intestinal health: a review.

Abstract

High-fat diets (HFDs) are increasingly being studied in aquaculture because of their complex species-specific effects on fish physiology. While moderate fat levels can lower feed costs, supply essential fatty acids, and promote growth in some carnivorous and fast-growing species, excessive fat intake is linked to negative outcomes, such as impaired lipid metabolism, hepatic steatosis, immune suppression, and reduced growth. Although some studies have reported improved growth in zebrafish and other tolerant species, most finfish exhibited growth inhibition, metabolic dysfunction, and greater disease susceptibility under prolonged HFD exposure. Mechanistically, HFDs disrupt lipid homeostasis by downregulating lipolytic genes (e.g., cpt1a, pparα, and atgl) and upregulating lipogenic genes (e.g., srebp-1, fas, and acc), resulting in hepatic lipid accumulation. These shifts are associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced fatty acid β-oxidation, oxidative stress, and activation of ER stress pathways such as ire1/xbp1. HFDs also stimulate inflammatory pathways through tlrs, nf-κb, and cytokines (il-6, tnf-α, and il-1β), contributing to immunometabolic imbalances. Additionally, HFDs negatively affect intestinal health by altering morphology, weakening barrier function, and disrupting microbiota composition, leading to poor nutrient absorption and increased infection risk. This review provides current evidence of HFD-induced changes in growth, immunity, lipid metabolism, mitochondrial function, and gut health in finfish. This emphasizes the importance of species-specific dietary fat optimization to improve feed efficiency, safeguard fish health, and ensure sustainable aquaculture practices.