The aquaculture industry is the fastest growing food-producing sector supplying nearly 60% of fish for human consumption. Generally, it is estimated that feed costs account for 50% to 80% of the total production costs and sustainable supply of aquafeed is necessary. Proper nutrition is the key for successful aquaculture, nevertheless, rearing fish under confinement and intensive stocking densities might lower fish physiological performance by means of hampering immune and antioxidant systems. This has led to a great field of research aimed to discover functional feed additives not just to improve growth performance but also enhance fish welfare by enhancing immune system and resistance against infectious diseases and environmental challenges.
Traditionally, antibiotics and chemical therapeutics were the first choice to prevent and/or treat infectious disease which has led to indiscriminate use of antibiotics and chemicals with consequent environmental and human associated concerns. Feed additives or immunostimulants are versatile compounds or organisms affecting various biological processes when used in fish diet. Numerous studies have been conducted on probiotics, prebiotics, and phytogenic compounds during the past decade suggesting their potential for replacing synthetic antibiotics.
The functional feed additives include but not limited to prebiotics, probiotics, seaweeds, mushrooms, micro and macroalgae, enzymes, organic acids, mycotoxin binders, nucleotides, photogenic or phytobiotic compounds (substances derived from herbs, spices, other plants and their extracts or essential oils) and yeasts. There has also been a growing interest to discover and produce value added products from wastes produced in agriculture and aquaculture industries. Such wastes contain valuable compounds such as carotenoids, proteins and amino acids, bioactive peptides, vitamins, biologically active carbohydrates etc. Not to mention that these valuable sources are either disposed into the environment or poorly exploited for aquaculture purposes.
To date, the mechanisms of which functional feed exert their effects has not been fully addressed. Pre and probiotics are believed to improve fish performance directly by producing of exogenous enzymes or indirectly by changing the microbial communities of gastrointestinal tract. Phytogenic compounds are being suggested to enhance immune responses owing to their active constituents such as phenolic compounds. These compounds are also known to exert in vitro antibacterial activities against major aquatic pathogenic bacteria however few studies have identified the main substances responsible for the observed results. Exogenous enzymes help a better break down of feed ingredients and mycotoxin binder reduce the risk of inflammation in intestine. This is however, few studies have addressed and exploited the potential of agricultural or aquaculture wastes in aquaculture industry.
In this Research Topic, we welcome papers that address knowledge about the combined use of feed additives with a special focus on agriculture/aquaculture wastes derived compounds. This is to imply that the main purposes of this Research Topic are:
i) To present information on specific compounds with potential in vitro/in vivo antibacterial activities against aquatic pathogenic bacteria;
ii) To evaluate and elaborate the mechanisms of actions of feed additives to improve growth and immunity of fish;
iii) To further research the effects of combined use of different feed additives.
The aquaculture industry is the fastest growing food-producing sector supplying nearly 60% of fish for human consumption. Generally, it is estimated that feed costs account for 50% to 80% of the total production costs and sustainable supply of aquafeed is necessary. Proper nutrition is the key for successful aquaculture, nevertheless, rearing fish under confinement and intensive stocking densities might lower fish physiological performance by means of hampering immune and antioxidant systems. This has led to a great field of research aimed to discover functional feed additives not just to improve growth performance but also enhance fish welfare by enhancing immune system and resistance against infectious diseases and environmental challenges.
Traditionally, antibiotics and chemical therapeutics were the first choice to prevent and/or treat infectious disease which has led to indiscriminate use of antibiotics and chemicals with consequent environmental and human associated concerns. Feed additives or immunostimulants are versatile compounds or organisms affecting various biological processes when used in fish diet. Numerous studies have been conducted on probiotics, prebiotics, and phytogenic compounds during the past decade suggesting their potential for replacing synthetic antibiotics.
The functional feed additives include but not limited to prebiotics, probiotics, seaweeds, mushrooms, micro and macroalgae, enzymes, organic acids, mycotoxin binders, nucleotides, photogenic or phytobiotic compounds (substances derived from herbs, spices, other plants and their extracts or essential oils) and yeasts. There has also been a growing interest to discover and produce value added products from wastes produced in agriculture and aquaculture industries. Such wastes contain valuable compounds such as carotenoids, proteins and amino acids, bioactive peptides, vitamins, biologically active carbohydrates etc. Not to mention that these valuable sources are either disposed into the environment or poorly exploited for aquaculture purposes.
To date, the mechanisms of which functional feed exert their effects has not been fully addressed. Pre and probiotics are believed to improve fish performance directly by producing of exogenous enzymes or indirectly by changing the microbial communities of gastrointestinal tract. Phytogenic compounds are being suggested to enhance immune responses owing to their active constituents such as phenolic compounds. These compounds are also known to exert in vitro antibacterial activities against major aquatic pathogenic bacteria however few studies have identified the main substances responsible for the observed results. Exogenous enzymes help a better break down of feed ingredients and mycotoxin binder reduce the risk of inflammation in intestine. This is however, few studies have addressed and exploited the potential of agricultural or aquaculture wastes in aquaculture industry.
In this Research Topic, we welcome papers that address knowledge about the combined use of feed additives with a special focus on agriculture/aquaculture wastes derived compounds. This is to imply that the main purposes of this Research Topic are:
i) To present information on specific compounds with potential in vitro/in vivo antibacterial activities against aquatic pathogenic bacteria;
ii) To evaluate and elaborate the mechanisms of actions of feed additives to improve growth and immunity of fish;
iii) To further research the effects of combined use of different feed additives.