No abstract

Over the years, aquaculture has shown increasing development in terms of production. However, due to intensive farming practices, infectious diseases represent the main problem in fish farms, causing heavy economic losses. The use of antibiotics for controlling diseases is widely criticized for its negative impact, including selection of antibioticresistant bacterial strains, immunosuppression, environmental pollution and accumulation of chemical residues in fish tissues. On the other hand, though vaccination is the most effective prophylactic method of preventing disease outbreaks, the development of effective formulations is often hindered by high production costs and the antigenic heterogeneity of the microbial strains. Recently, there has been increased interest in the possibility of using medicinal herbs as immunostimulants, capable of enhancing immune responses and disease resistance of cultured fish. Plant-derived products seem to represent a promising source of bioactive molecules, being at the same time readily available, inexpensive and biocompatible. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of recent research dealing with the use of medicinal plants in aquaculture. Special attention is given to the information about the effects of plant extracts/products on fish growth, haematological profiles, immune responses and resistance to infectious diseases.

The research was aimed to assess the effect of dietary carvacrol (0.025% and 0.05%) on sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) growth, immune response and resistance to Listonella anguillarum. Fish (69.2 ± 0.22 g) were fed the experimental diets for 9 weeks. Dietary carvacrol did not negatively affect fish survival, growth performance, feed intake and feed conversion ratio (P > 0.05) nor carcass yield and viscerosomatic, hepatosomatic and mesenteric fat index (P > 0.05). Serum and head kidney leucocytes were collected after 1, 4 and 8 weeks of feeding. Carvacrol significantly reduced serum proteins, immunoglobulins and lysozyme activity (P < 0.01) and moderately increased phagocytosis and pinocytosis of head kidney macrophages. The release of reactive oxygen species by leucocytes was reduced in carvacrol‐fed fish, even if significantly (P < 0.05) only in those fed 0.05% carvacrol for 1 week. Dietary carvacrol did not significantly affect the aspecific immune response, although a potential antioxidant activity might be speculated. Moreover, feeding carvacrol provided an appreciable resistance to a challenge with L. anguillarum, when a bacterial dose lower than the Lethal Dose50 was used. Cumulative mortality in fish fed 0.025% carvacrol was significantly lower than that of untreated controls (75% Relative Per cent Survival).

Bacterial cells of the marine fish pathogen Photobacterium damsela subsp. piscicida were grown in novel culture media. A mixture of whole cells and extracellular components was inactivated and used in bath, intraperitoneal (i.p.) and oral vaccination of sea bass, Dicentrarchus labrax, employing two sizes of fish. A commercial vaccine was used for comparative purposes. Control and immunized fish were either bath or intraperitoneally challenged 6 and 12 weeks post-vaccination. Small fish had significantly higher relative percentage survival with the novel vaccine mixture both at 6 and 12 weeks post-vaccination by bath, in comparison with the commercial vaccine. No protection was afforded at 6 or 12 weeks post-immunization by either vaccine after challenge via i.p. injection. Sea bass (1.5-2 g) intraperitoneally vaccinated with various adjuvanted vaccine mixtures were not protected against pasteurellosis. In contrast, larger sea bass (20 g) benefited from vaccination with the novel vaccine mixtures. Intraperitoneal challenge with the pathogen resulted in protection in both fish groups vaccinated with novel vaccine mixtures, whereas control fish suffered high mortalities (> 80%). Orally vaccinated fish were immersion challenged with the pathogen. At 6 and 12 weeks post-vaccination the control fish had a high mortality and the fish vaccinated with the novel vaccine mixture achieved good protection.

No abstract

Red mark syndrome (RMS) and US strawberry disease (US SD) are skin disorders affecting rainbow trout farmed in Europe and USA. The disease etiology has not yet been established. In spite of specific investigations, identifying Rickettsia-like organism (RLO)- and Midichloria-like organism (MLO)-related DNA in affected individuals, these pathogens have never been observed. We performed histological, ultrastructural and biomolecular analysis on skin and spleen samples of trout with RMS. Examination by TEM revealed the presence of intracytoplasmic microorganisms resembling Rickettsiales within macrophages, fibroblasts and erythrocytes. The microorganisms were oval or short rod shaped (400-800 nm in length and 100-200 nm in width) and often showed a cell wall similar to Gram-negative bacteria. PCR analysis for Rickettsiales supported these findings: 53% of affected trout were positive by both PCR and TEM The primers RiFCfw-RiFCrev were used to anneal both the RLO 16S DNA sequence and the MLO 16S DNA sequence. For this reason, and in agreement with previous studies confirming the presence of Rickettsiales-related DNA in trout with RMS, we assume that TEM detected microorganisms morphologically consistent with bacteria belonging to Rickettsiales order and could be considered as possible causative agents of RMS.

Photobacterium damsela ssp. piscicida (Phdp) isolates were grown in various bacteriological media, in eukaryotic cell culture media and in the presence of fish cells (resembling some aspects of in vivo growth environments). Bacterial cells, extracellular products (ECPs) and crude capsular polysaccharide were isolated and analysed by electrophoresis and Western blot using sea bass sera. Growth in bacteriological media conserved the synthesis of cell and extracellular components when these were compared with those prepared under near-in vivo growth conditions. In fact, synthesis of a larger range of cell components was induced after growth in bacteriological media. Certain media based on yeast extract and peptones from various sources and a specific salt formulation induced the synthesis of novel cell components at approximately 21.3 and 14 kDa. These antigens were recognized by sea bass sera collected after natural pasteurellosis outbreaks and other sea bass sera raised against live or inactivated Phdp cells. The ECPs of the pathogen were not good immunogens in their soluble form despite various treatments prior to immunization. The results are discussed with respect to vaccine development.

Dorsal arthrodesis in prepubertal rabbits changes thoracic growth patterns. In operated rabbits, the dorsoventral thoracic diameter grows more slowly than the laterolateral thoracic diameter. The sternum as well as the lengths of thoracic vertebral bodies in the spinal segment D1-D6 grow less. The crankshaft phenomenon is evident at the fused vertebral levels where there is a reduction of thoracic kyphosis.