Nanotechnology in reproduction, breeding and conservation of fish biodiversity: Current status and future potential

Abstract

The reproductive capability of an organism is the main factor to determine the stability of the population. Till now, numerous reproductive strategies have been used, to successfully breed the fish in captivity but the desired performance is yet to be achieved. Nanotechnology has transformed the reproductive capacity of higher animals to a greater extent and has a huge potential in the aquaculture sector too. The use of nanotechnology in fish reproduction and breeding is limited to the delivery of drugs, hormones, vaccines, or genes and still, an immense scope is left in the area that needs to be explored. Here, the recent progress of nanotechnology in fish reproduction, breeding and conservation of germplasm is reviewed. Further, the key successes in the development of cryopreservation, semen imaging, sperm sorting, germplasm preservation, prototypes of smart nanobiosensors and drug delivery systems in animals including fish are highlighted. The potential future opportunities for nanotechnology to enhance reproductive output and conservative management of fish have been presented. In general, the current review summarises some of the applications of nanotechnology that are performing well in higher animals and could be a game-changer in manipulating the reproductive potential or conserving the fish germplasm.

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