Opening a new gateway towards the applications of chitosan nanoparticles stabilized Pickering emulsion in the realm of aquaculture

In the current study, we synthesized eugenol (EU) based Pickering emulsion (PE) stabilized by food grade ingredients such as chitosan (CS) and tripolyphosphate (TPP) not only to enhance water miscibility of EU but also to decrease stress and damage to the immune system of fish due to anesthetic procedures. The formulated EUPEs were characterized in terms of droplet size, size distribution and the effects of environmental conditions e.g. pH and temperature on the behavior of the EUPEs. The results showed that EU PEs with 5% EU had smaller size with uniform distribution and were stable in the range of pH 5–7.5 and temperature 30–80 °C. The anesthetic effect of the EUPE was investigated by taking Common carp as a sample species. Interestingly, it was found that the induction time to anesthesia and recovery for the fish that received the PE was significantly shorter than that received EU at the same eugenol concentration (50 ppm). Most importantly, the improved hematological and bio-chemical parameters in the PE group further confirmed the immuno-protective and stress control efficacy of the PE. The results of this study propose a novel useful and potential application of PE in fishery where sedation is needed.