Aquaculture Disease Control: Probiotics, Prebiotics, and Medicinal Plants
مكافحة أمراض الاستزراع المائي: البروبيوتيك والبريبايوتيك والنباتات الطبية
Journal: Journal of fish diseases
University: Journal of Fish Diseases
Study Type: review
Evidence Level: high
Published:
30-Second Summary
This review explores innovative biological interventions like probiotics, prebiotics, and medicinal plant products for disease control in aquaculture, offering alternatives to antibiotics. It synthesizes current evidence on their efficacy, mechanisms, and practical challenges in both laboratory and field settings.
1-Minute Summary
This comprehensive review examines the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and medicinal plant products as sustainable alternatives to antibiotics for disease management in aquaculture. It highlights their roles as microbiome-modulating agents and functional additives with bioactive and immunomodulatory properties. The study synthesizes existing laboratory and field-based evidence, discussing their efficacy, underlying mechanisms, and practical implementation challenges. This approach addresses regulatory pressures and consumer demand for residue-free food production in the aquaculture industry.
3-Minute Summary
This review explores innovative biological interventions—probiotics, prebiotics, and medicinal plant products—as sustainable alternatives to antibiotics in aquaculture. Facing increasing regulatory pressures and consumer demand for residue-free products, the aquaculture industry is seeking new strategies for disease control. Probiotics and prebiotics work by modulating the microbiome of aquatic species, while medicinal plant derivatives (phytogenics) offer direct bioactive and immunomodulatory properties. The study synthesizes current evidence on the efficacy, mechanisms, and practical challenges of these functional additives. While laboratory and controlled studies often show promising results, the review highlights the need for more robust field-based research to validate their effectiveness and optimize their application in real-world aquaculture settings. These interventions may support improved disease resistance and overall health in farmed aquatic organisms.
Full Analysis
This comprehensive review delves into the potential of probiotics, prebiotics, and medicinal plant products as sustainable solutions for disease management in aquaculture. The current reliance on antibiotics in aquaculture presents significant challenges, including the development of antibiotic resistance and concerns about residues in food products. This review highlights how these biological interventions offer a multifaceted approach to disease control. Probiotics, live microorganisms, may support gut health and immune function by modulating the host's microbiome. Prebiotics, non-digestible food ingredients, selectively stimulate the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria. Medicinal plant products, or phytogenics, contain a diverse array of bioactive compounds that may possess direct antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory properties. The review synthesizes findings from both in vitro and controlled studies, which often demonstrate positive effects on growth performance, disease resistance, and overall health in aquatic species. However, it also critically addresses the practical challenges of implementing these solutions in large-scale aquaculture operations, such as variability in product efficacy, optimal dosage, and application methods. The authors emphasize the need for more rigorous field trials to bridge the gap between laboratory findings and real-world applicability, ultimately aiming to reduce antibiotic use and enhance the sustainability of aquaculture practices.Health Implications
While this study focuses on aquaculture, it underscores the broader concept of microbiome modulation and natural compounds for health support. Just as these interventions may support disease resistance in fish, similar principles apply to human health. Consuming fiber-rich foods (prebiotics) and fermented products (probiotics) may support a balanced gut microbiome, which is increasingly recognized for its role in immune function and overall well-being. Incorporating diverse plant-based foods, rich in polyphenols and other bioactive compounds, may also offer similar protective effects, contributing to a resilient internal environment.
Key Findings
- Probiotics, prebiotics, and medicinal plant products offer viable biological alternatives to antibiotics for disease control in aquaculture.
- These interventions function through microbiome modulation, direct bioactive properties, and immunomodulation in aquatic species.
- The review synthesizes evidence on the efficacy, mechanisms, and practical challenges of these functional additives in both laboratory and field settings.
DOI: 10.1111/jfd.70227