Dietary Soybean and Kappaphycus sp. Differentially Modulate Gut Microbiota Diversity and Predicted Functional Profile in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Animal, Aquaculture and Range Sciences, College of Agriculture, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
- 2SACIDS Africa Centre of Excellence for Infectious Diseases, SACIDS Foundation for One Health, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
- 3Institute of Natural Resources and Environment, Rovuma University, Cabo Delgado, Mozambique.
- 4Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
- 5Department of Microbiology, Parasitology and Biotechnology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania.
Abstract
Diet composition shapes gut microbiota, influencing nutrient utilization, health, and growth. The shift toward sustainable ingredients such as soybean meal (SB) and seaweed (SW) requires an understanding of their effects on the gut microbiota. This study investigated how SB and SW diets modulate gut microbiota and predicted functional profile in Nile tilapia. Fish were assigned to four dietary treatments for 62 days: fishmeal (FM), SB, SW, and a natural meal (NM, non-formulated diet). Gut microbiota were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and functional potential was inferred using PICRUSt2. Diet significantly influenced microbial beta diversity (PERMANOVA, R² = 0.60, F = 4.05, p = 0.001). Alpha diversity was highest in the SW and lowest in the NM, with a significant difference detected only between these groups. Fusobacteriota and Pseudomonadota predominated across treatments, while Cetobacterium was consistently identified as a core genus. SB and SW diets were associated with distinct taxonomic and predicted functional profiles. SB diet showed higher representation of pathways related to nucleotide turnover, central carbon metabolism, and stress response, and was associated with growth performance. SW showed higher predicted abundances of amino acid biosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism pathways, and achieved the highest protein digestibility. In contrast, NM showed lower predicted functional potential and lower growth indices. Overall, SB and SW were associated with changes in microbial composition and predicted metabolic functions while maintaining relatively stable core microbiota. These findings support the relevance of gut microbiota as a biological indicator when evaluating sustainable feed ingredients for Nile tilapia aquaculture.
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BibTeX
@article{viagem2026dietary,
title = {{Dietary Soybean and Kappaphycus sp. Differentially Modulate Gut Microbiota Diversity and Predicted Functional Profile in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).}},
author = {Leonildo Dos Anjo Viagem and Jean Nepomuscene Hakizimana and Cyrus Rumisha and Brunno da Silva Cerozi and Gerald Misinzo},
journal = {MicrobiologyOpen},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1002/mbo3.70442},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894436},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Dietary Soybean and Kappaphycus sp. Differentially Modulate Gut Microbiota Diversity and Predicted Functional Profile in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).
AU - Leonildo Dos Anjo Viagem
AU - Jean Nepomuscene Hakizimana
AU - Cyrus Rumisha
AU - Brunno da Silva Cerozi
AU - Gerald Misinzo
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - MicrobiologyOpen
DO - 10.1002/mbo3.70442
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894436
AB - Diet composition shapes gut microbiota, influencing nutrient utilization, health, and growth. The shift toward sustainable ingredients such as soybean meal (SB) and seaweed (SW) requires an understanding of their effects on the gut microbiota. This study investigated how SB and SW diets modulate gut microbiota and predicted functional profile in Nile tilapia. Fish were assigned to four dietary treatments for 62 days: fishmeal (FM), SB, SW, and a natural meal (NM, non-formulated diet). Gut microbiota were characterized using 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and functional potential was inferred using PICRUSt2. Diet significantly influenced microbial beta diversity (PERMANOVA, R² = 0.60, F = 4.05, p = 0.001). Alpha diversity was highest in the SW and lowest in the NM, with a significant difference detected only between these groups. Fusobacteriota and Pseudomonadota predominated across treatments, while Cetobacterium was consistently identified as a core genus. SB and SW diets were associated with distinct taxonomic and predicted functional profiles. SB diet showed higher representation of pathways related to nucleotide turnover, central carbon metabolism, and stress response, and was associated with growth performance. SW showed higher predicted abundances of amino acid biosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism pathways, and achieved the highest protein digestibility. In contrast, NM showed lower predicted functional potential and lower growth indices. Overall, SB and SW were associated with changes in microbial composition and predicted metabolic functions while maintaining relatively stable core microbiota. These findings support the relevance of gut microbiota as a biological indicator when evaluating sustainable feed ingredients for Nile tilapia aquaculture.
SN - 2045-8827
ER -