{
  "abstract": "Nickel (Ni) is a ubiquitous environmental contaminant that poses significant risks to the nervous systems of diverse organisms. This study investigated the neurotoxic effects of nickel chloride (NiCl ₂ ) on Nile tilapia and the potential protective role of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) derived from Marinobacter nauticus strain GH3 (GH3-EPS). Nile tilapia were divided into eight groups and fed for 8 weeks either a standard diet, diets supplemented with graded doses of GH3-EPS (0.075–0.3 g), GH3-EPS combined with sublethal Nickel (II) chloride exposure (1/10 LC50 ≈ 113.4 mg/L), or NiCl2 alone. At the experiment end, fish were euthanized, and brain, liver, and gill tissues were rapidly collected for accurate biochemical, molecular, and histological analyses. The expression of neurodegeneration-related genes (ApoE, Clu, and CR1) in brain tissues, antioxidant enzyme activities (GPx and GR) in liver tissues, and histopathological changes in gills and liver tissue were evaluated. NiCl ₂ exposure significantly increased the expression of ApoE, Clu, and CR1 genes and decreased GPx and GR enzyme activities compared to the control group. Treatment with medium- and high-dose GH3-EPS significantly reduced the expression of these genes and increased GPx and GR activities in NiCl ₂ -exposed fish. Additionally, GH3-EPS treatment significantly reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation in the liver of NiCl ₂ -exposed fish, with medium and high doses exhibiting inhibition rates of 32.9% and 36.6%, respectively. These findings suggest that GH3-EPS may have protective effects against NiCl ₂ -induced neurotoxicity in Nile tilapia by normalizing gene expression, improving antioxidant levels, and reducing oxidative stress. This study highlights the potential of EPS as a mitigation strategy for metal-induced neurotoxicity in aquatic organisms.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 11,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Wagdy K. B. Khalil"
    },
    {
      "name": "Noha M. Sabry"
    },
    {
      "name": "Marwa I. Abdel –Tawab"
    },
    {
      "name": "Samia A. El-Fiky"
    },
    {
      "name": "Samah M. Bassem"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ahmed A. Hamed"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mohamad Abdelrazik"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ghada Abdel-Razik"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ashraf Eltaher"
    },
    {
      "name": "Mohamed E. El Awady"
    },
    {
      "name": "Fagr Kh. Abdel-Gawad"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0edst4pn7vzcj.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41598-026-71953-w",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "0edst4pn7vzcj",
  "issns": [
    "2045-2322"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-71953-w",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2307|Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220852563",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-71953-w.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-07",
  "publisher": "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0edst4pn7vzcj.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:24Z",
      "native_id": "10.1038/s41598-026-71953-w",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-71953-w"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2307|Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology",
      "subfield": "pharmacology-toxicology"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Exopolysaccharide from Marinobacter nauticus strain GH3 reduces oxidative stress and neurotoxicity caused by Nickel in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)",
  "title_text": "Exopolysaccharide from Marinobacter nauticus strain GH3 reduces oxidative stress and neurotoxicity caused by Nickel in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:24Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/0edst4pn7vzcj",
  "venue": "Scientific Reports",
  "versions": []
}