Probiotics in Mitigating Pesticide Toxicity in Teleost Fish: Mechanisms and Prospects

Intensive aquaculture serves as the cornerstone of global edible aquatic protein supply, yet pesticide residues from agricultural non-point source pollution have become a major environmental threat to teleost health, compromising both aquaculture sustainability and food safety. Pesticide exposure induces acute and chronic toxicity through multiple pathological pathways, including oxidative stress, intestinal microbiota dysbiosis, immunosuppression, endocrine and metabolic disruption, as well as genetic and tissue damage. As environmentally benign feed additives, probiotics demonstrate considerable promise in mitigating pesticide-induced toxicity in teleosts owing to their multi-target regulatory activities and innate biodegradability. Here, we critically review the core toxic effects of pesticides on teleost fish and synthesize current understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying probiotic-mediated protection. We particularly emphasize the key unresolved challenges that hinder industrial translation-including pronounced strain specificity, insufficient mechanistic depth, lack of standardized dosing protocols, severe research gaps under realistic co-exposure scenarios, incomplete safety evaluation systems, and fragmented regulatory frameworks. Moreover, we propose future directions with specific emphasis on multi-omics integrated approaches, high-throughput strain screening platforms, combined pollution research, industrial formulation technologies, and harmonized safety assessment standards. This review aims to provide a theoretical and practical framework for the green prevention and control of pesticide pollution in aquaculture and to guide the rational development of targeted probiotic products for sustainable teleost farming.