Aug 2026· Fish Physiology & Biochemistry· Vol 52· 0 citations· 55 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Evidence indicates that APs enhance immune function, modulate gut microbiota, and mitigate environmental stress, especially when combined with probiotics, prebiotics, plant extracts, or vaccines, especially when combined with probiotics, prebiotics, plant extracts, or vaccines.
Modern aquaculture is challenged by disease outbreaks caused by environmental stress and immune suppression in fish. The indiscriminate use of antibiotics has accelerated antimicrobial resistance and has demanded urgent need of natural and sustainable alternatives to enhance fish health. The present review is devoted to ginseng, a plant of the genus
Panax
, whose rich content of ginsenosides has well-documented antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. This paper summarizes the mechanisms of ginseng in modulating the immune system of fish, highlighting the regulation of key signaling pathways, including NF-κB, JAK/STAT, MAPK, and PI3K/Akt, which results in balanced cytokine production, augmented antioxidant activity, and improved immune cell function. Evidence from trials in species such as tilapia, trout, and carp demonstrates that dietary supplementation with ginseng can increase resistance to bacterial pathogens and reduce dependency on antibiotics. However, challenges remain regarding dosage optimization, extract standardization, and evaluation of long-term effects. Overall, ginseng represents a promising natural immunostimulant for sustainable aquaculture, but further research is needed to establish standardized and effective application protocols.
Morteza Yousefi, Z. Adilbekov, Y. Balji et al.· Frontiers in Marine Science· 0 citations
Global aquaculture has expanded rapidly to meet rising demand for aquatic protein, yet this expansion has been accompanied by intensified disease pressure and a corresponding reliance on antimicrobial chemotherapeutics, a practice now constrained by regulatory restriction and the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Medicinal plants and their derived phytochemicals have emerged as a widely investigated alternative, offering growth-promoting, immunomodulatory and metabolic benefits without the residue and resistance liabilities of synthetic drugs. This review synthesises evidence published between January 2015 and March 2026 on the dietary use of medicinal plants in finfish and crustacean aquaculture, with particular attention to three interlinked outcomes: growth performance, innate and adaptive immune function, and lipid metabolism. Botanicals such as Astragalus membranaceus, Moringa oleifera, Curcuma longa, Allium sativum, Zingiber officinale and Withania somnifera consistently improve weight gain, feed conversion, digestive enzyme activity and resistance to bacterial challenge across a range of species and rearing systems, generally through stimulation of lysozyme, complement and phagocytic activity, upregulation of cytokine and antioxidant gene networks, and modulation of hepatic lipogenic and lipolytic pathways such as SREBP-1c, PPARα and AMPK signalling. Effects are, however, markedly dose- and species-dependent, and excessive inclusion levels can suppress immune function rather than continue to enhance it. The review further considers the methodological heterogeneity of the underlying trials, the paucity of pharmacokinetic and long-term safety data, and the practical barriers to large-scale adoption, including standardisation of extracts and cost of production. It concludes that medicinal plants represent a scientifically credible component of sustainable feed formulation strategies but that their translation into commercial aquafeeds requires more rigorous dose-optimisation trials, harmonised reporting standards and mechanistic studies linking phytochemical composition to physiological outcome.
V. Pradhan, J. Khan· Uttar Pradesh Journal of Zoo...· 0 citations
Lauric acid (LA), a medium-chain fatty acid abundant in coconut oil and Hermetia illucens larvae, has been reported to promote growth performance and exhibit antimicrobial and immunostimulatory properties. This review examines current studies on its effects on growth performance, intestinal health, microbiota modulation, and immune responses in aquatic species. Studies in finfish and crustaceans were evaluated according to the LA source, distinguishing purified LA, LA derivatives such as monoglycerides, and LA rich ingredients, when considering LA rich ingredients. Overall, LA was associated with changes in growth performance, feed efficiency, survival, intestinal morphology, gut microbiota, and immune and antioxidant responses, although effects varied with source, dose, species, and experimental conditions. Reported effects include increased villus height and goblet cell density, modulation of gut microbiota, altered cytokine expression, increased antioxidant enzyme activity, and reduced lipid peroxidation. Overall, LA appears to be a promising functional component in aquafeeds for finfish and crustacean species. Nevertheless, inconsistent experimental designs, differences in LA sources, and species-specific responses make direct comparisons among studies difficult. Further studies that use standardized experimental protocols, including consistent LA sources, dietary inclusion levels, trial durations and evaluation criteria, are needed to define optimal inclusion levels in different aquatic species.
R. A. Opere, G. Pascon, G. Cardinaletti et al.· Fishes· 0 citations
This review focuses on the major bioactive phytochemicals present in dragon fruit peel, namely phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, and betalains, along with the essential nutrient vitamin C, providing a comprehensive overview of these components, including their chemical characteristics and functional roles in fish nutrition when incorporated into diets.
Ng Chinglembi Devi, Cheryl Antony, E. Prabu et al.· Journal of Fisheries· 0 citations
Aquaculture is one of the most rapidly expanding industries of food production and is of major significance for global food security, nutrition and economic growth. But industrial aquaculture is often challenged by disease outbreaks, environmental degradation, poor water quality and rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance due to excessive utilization of antibiotics. In this perspective, probiotics have been highlighted as possible eco-friendly methods for enhancing the health of aquatic organisms and contributing to sustainable aquaculture production. Probiotics have been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect through a number of mechanisms including modulation of gut microbial communities, competitive exclusion of pathogens, production of antimicrobial compounds, enhancement of digestive enzyme activity, stimulation of innate and adaptive immune responses and water quality improvement. Probiotics can be used for growth promotion, better feed utilization, higher resistance to diseases caused by bacterial, viral and parasite pathogens, stress reduction and improved survival and production in cultured species. Probiotics also help to sustainability through reduction of antibiotic reliance, better environmental management and support of more robust aquaculture system. Probiotics are a sustainable and effective means to enhance aquaculture health, productivity and environmental performance. Future research should focus on host-specific probiotic selection, delivery system optimization, long-term field validation, and creation of next-generation probiotics employing microbiome and omics-based techniques. The application of probiotics in aquaculture practice provides great prospects for developing sustainable and climate-resilient aquatic food production. This narrative review presents updated information on key thematic areas on probiotics.
Preeti Negi, Gaurav Sharma, Arvind K. Sharma et al.· Life Research· 0 citations
The first part of this review synthesizes current evidence on probiotics as tools for nonspecific prevention of infectious fish diseases and technology-oriented health management in aquaculture. Infectious risks associated with intensive fish production and immunological features of fish that determine the effectiveness of microbiota-oriented interventions are outlined. Feed-based and water-applied probiotics, synbiotics, paraprobiotics, postbiotics, and functional microbial communities used in biofloc systems are reviewed. Major mechanisms of action include competitive exclusion of pathogens, production of antimicrobial metabolites, modulation of intestinal, skin and gill microbiota, strengthening of barrier functions, immunomodulation, improved digestion and feed conversion, and stabilization of the microbiological status of the aquatic environment. Particular attention is paid to probiotic biocontrol of saprolegniosis and other oomycete infections, including the limitations of translating in vitro antagonism into field-level protection. Technological approaches to strain selection, fermentation, stabilization, microencapsulation and delivery through feed or water are summarized. The evidence indicates that probiotics are best regarded as a fundamental background component of fish health and biosecurity programs, whose effectiveness is strongly dependent on strain identity, host species, husbandry conditions and rigorous validation under controlled and production settings.
M. Manoyan, A. N. Ivanova, A. Panin et al.· Agrarian science· 0 citations
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