Efficiency of letrozole loaded PLGA nanoparticles on sex reversal of Poecilia reticulata (Peters, 1859)

Abstract

Males of Poecilia reticulata showed extreme diversity in color, particularly of their fins, while the females lack the bright colors and are largely whitish. Such extreme variability of color and finnage lead to demand of males in the markets. The aim of present work was to develop a new Letrozole (LTZ)-loaded PLGA nanoparticles for effective delivery of the masculinization drug, letrozole, as an alternative to commercially available masculinization agents. The LTZ-loaded PLGA NPs were prepared by solvent displacement technique. The particle size of LTZ-loaded PLGA NPs was analyzed using LICOMP particle size analyzer and was found to be in the range of 72 nm to 520 nm with average size of 221.5±63.3 nm. Zeta potential was estimated to be about 21.35 mV with loading efficiency of 43.63±4.63 %. In the present study, a series of experiments were carried out to induce masculinization using LTZ-loaded PLGA nanoparticles during the sex differentiation period. Guppy (P. reticulate) fry were treated with LTZ-loaded PLGA nanoparticles at dosages 5, 25, 50 and 100 ppm/kg diet for 10, 15 and 30 days. The gonopodium index and GSI showed increasing order in male and female respectively with dose of LTZ-loaded nanoparticles. The results indicated an increase in the proportion of males with dosage and duration of treatment. This has been done for the first time using nanotechnology efficiently which has shown an increase in the male population of Poecilia reticulata with lesser dose of nano-encapsulated Letrozole (LTZ)-loaded PLGA nanoparticles drug as compared with naked control Letrozole (LTZ) drug delivery.

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

“…In guppy ( Poecilia reticulata ), males are brighter and more colourful than females which increases their demand in the market. Joshi et al 25 treated the fish with PLGA NPs (132 nm) enriched with letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor for the production of an all‐male population. The drug NPs with a zeta potential of 21.35 mV were prepared by solvent displacement technique and delivered to fish through feed and a greater male proportion in a population were generated at a lower dosage compared with the naked drug alone.…”