Nutrient–immune interactions in fish: feed formula optimization and disease resistance enhancement

Aquaculture nutrition and immunology research is emerging as a cornerstone for sustainable aquatic food production. Despite major advances, the sector continues to face two interconnected challenges: feed resource limitations and persistent disease outbreaks. Nutritional inputs not only determine the growth and reproductive efficiency of fish but also profoundly influence immune capacity by modulating cellular responses and cytokine expression. Recent studies demonstrate that shifts from fishmeal and fish oil to alternative plant- or insect-based ingredients often compromise immune performance and metabolic stability. At the same time, targeted nutrients—such as n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, functional amino acids, and bioactive polysaccharides—have been found to regulate key defense pathways, including TLR/NF-κB and MAPK signaling, thereby improving disease resilience. Nevertheless, core questions remain unresolved, including the interspecific variability of nutrient–immune coupling, the immunological adaptation to novel feed sources, and the conserved molecular frameworks linking nutrition and immunity across aquatic taxa. Filling these knowledge gaps will be crucial for formulating efficient, functional, and sustainable aquafeeds.This Research Topic aims to elucidate the complex interplay between fish nutrition and immune function, with an emphasis on developing next-generation feed technologies to enhance disease resistance and production efficiency. It seeks to identify molecular mechanisms through which dietary nutrients influence immune signaling, map differences in nutrient–immune sensitivity among species and developmental stages, and apply this understanding to the creation of optimized feed formulations. By integrating approaches from molecular biology, immunology, feed science, and aquaculture technology, this topic endeavors to establish a theoretical and practical framework guiding the design of immune-supportive aquafeeds for sustainable aquaculture systems.To gather further insights into the boundaries between fish nutrition, immunity, and feed innovation, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Mechanisms of immune cell responses (macrophages, neutrophils, lymphocytes) to different nutrients• Impacts and adaptive strategies of alternative protein sources (plant, insect) on intestinal mucosal immune integrity• Molecular roles of functional nutrients (probiotics, polysaccharides, fatty acids) in regulating disease-resistant signaling pathways such as TLR/NF-κB and MAPK• Optimization of immune markers (serum enzymes, complement activity) in low-fishmeal or fishmeal-free feed formulations• Design, testing, and validation of immune-regulating acquafeeds and their efficacy in protecting from disease.• Omics-based analyses (transcriptomics, metabolomics) of nutrient–immune interactions• Nutrient–immune requirements and feed adaptation processes in juvenile versus adult fish• Nutrient–immune regulation strategies under environmental and physiological stress conditionsAppendix: We welcome Original Research, Review, Mini Review, Perspective, and Methods articles. Manuscripts not focused on immunity are out of scope for this Journal. Topic editors: Xueshan Li, Qiangde Liu, Wei Fang Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83765/nutrient-immune-interactions-in-fish-feed-formula-optimization-and-disease-resistance-enhancement