10.57647/ijnd.2026.1704.06

Nano-biocomposites from Chitosan Nanoparticles and Tribulus terrestris-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles as Alternatives to 17α-Methyltestosterone for Enhancing Reproductive Performance in Male Nile Tilapia

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  • Hend Amer Gad1,
  • Mahmoud Abdel-Hamid Al-Saman2,
  • Salma Elhussein1,
  • Ayman Younes Allam3,
  • Mohamed Elsayed El-Hefnawy4,
  • Mohammed Ibrahim Orif5,
  • Alhanoof Saleh Baajrah4,
  • Ahmed Abdelfattah Tayel*1,
  1. Department of Fish Processing and Biotechnology, Faculty of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafrelsheikh 33516, Egypt
  2. Department of Industrial Biotechnology, Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Sadat City, El-Sadat City 32897, Egypt
  3. Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Menoufia University, Shibin El Kom, 32511, Egypt
  4. Department of Marine Chemistry, Faculty of Marine Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80207, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
  5. Department of Marine Chemistry, Faculty of Marine Sciences, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80207, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia; Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

Received: 2026-02-28

Revised: 2026-05-22

Accepted: 2026-05-29

Published Online: 2026-07-30

Copyright (c) 2026 Hend Amer Gad, Mahmoud Abdel-Hamid Al-Saman, Salma Elhussein, Ayman Younes Allam, Mohamed Elsayed El-Hefnawy, Mohammed Ibrahim Orif, Alhanoof Saleh Baajrah, Ahmed Abdelfattah Tayel (Author)

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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Amer Gad, H., Al-Saman, M. A.-H., Elhussein, S., Younes Allam, A., Elsayed El-Hefnawy, M., Ibrahim Orif, M., Saleh Baajrah, A., & Abdelfattah Tayel, A. (2026). Nano-biocomposites from Chitosan Nanoparticles and Tribulus terrestris-Mediated Silver Nanoparticles as Alternatives to 17α-Methyltestosterone for Enhancing Reproductive Performance in Male Nile Tilapia. International Journal of Nano Dimension, 17(2 (April 2026). https://doi.org/10.57647/ijnd.2026.1704.06
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Abstract

This study evaluated and compared the effectiveness of Tribulus terrestris extract-mediated silver nanoparticles loaded onto a chitosan nanopolymer (TT/AgNPs/CsNPs) with synthetic testosterone (17α-methyltestosterone; MT) in enhancing the reproductive performance of male Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). A total of 75 fish (initial weight 60 ± 3.25 g) were randomly assigned to five experimental treatments (15 fish per group; three replicates of five fish each) and fed a basal diet containing 30% crude protein for 60 consecutive days. The treatments included: control group (CG, basal diet only), MT group (60 mg MT/kg diet), TT/AgNPs group (750 mg TT/AgNPs/kg diet), TT/AgNPs/CsNPs group (750 mg of TT/AgNPs/CsNPs per kg diet), and TT/AgNPs/CsNPs + MT group (750 mg nanocomposite + 20 mg MT/kg diet). Results revealed that the TT/AgNPs/CsNPs + MT group exhibited the most significant improvement in semen quality parameters, including sperm concentration (310x106/mL), motility (32%), and viability (89%), beside elevated serum testosterone (6.95ng/ml) and 11-ketotestosterone (3.15ng/mL) levels. Importantly, liver function indicators across all experimental groups remained within normal physiological ranges, confirming the biosafety of the nanoparticle supplementation. These findings suggest that nano-formulated T. terrestris offers a safe and effective alternative to synthetic androgens in aquaculture for improving male reproductive performance in aquaculture species.

Keywords

  • Chitosan nanoparticles,
  • Growth performance,
  • Nano-delivery system,
  • Nile tilapia,
  • Reproduction,
  • Testosterone,
  • Tribulus terrestris
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