Using synthetic antibiotics/chemicals for infectious bacterial pathogens and parasitic disease control causes beneficial microbial killing, produces multi-drug resistant pathogens, and residual antibiotic impacts in humans are the major threats to aquaculture sustainability. Applications of herbal products to combat microbial and parasitic diseases are considered as alternative approaches for sustainable aquaculture. Essential oils (EOs) are the secondary metabolites of medicinal plants that possess bioactive compounds like terpens, terpenoids, phenylpropenes, and isothiocyanates with synergistic relationship among these compounds. The hydrophobic compounds of EOs can penetrate the bacterial and parasitic cells and cause cell deformities and organelles dysfunctions. Dietary supplementation of EOs also modulate growth, immunity, and infectious disease resistance in aquatic organisms. Published research reports also demonstrated EOs effectiveness against Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, Gyrodactylus sp., Euclinostomum heterostomum, and other parasites both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, different infectious fish pathogenic bacteria like Aeromonas salmonicida, Vibrio harveyi, and Streptococcus agalactiae destruction was confirmed by plant originated EOs. However, no research was conducted to confirm the mechanism of action or pathway identification of EOs to combat aquatic parasites and disease-causing microbes. This review aims to explore the effectiveness of EOs against fish parasites and pathogenic bacteria as an environment-friendly phytotherapeutic in the aquaculture industry. Moreover, research gaps and future approaches to use EOs for sustainable aquaculture practice are also postulated.
Aquatic organisms are susceptible throughout their lives to chemical and physical stressors, which negatively affect their health. Various aquatic pollutants derived from industrial effluents, overuse of some agricultural pesticides, herbicides and insecticides may cause devastating toxicological aspects of aquatic organisms and deteriorate their health and growth. They also led to oxidative stress to fish due to the stimulation of the production of reactive oxygen species. Therefore, the need for using natural antioxidants to be used as feed additives is of great importance to counteract the hazardous oxidative stress responses. The use of phytochemicals, which characterized by substantial antioxidative effects, has been raised. Lycopene is the principal carotenoid pigment found in tomatoes and their products, vegetables and red fruits. Numerous studies have recommended the use of lycopene as a powerful antioxidant to attenuate the oxidative stress responses in several fish species exposed to various toxicants or any other stress conditions. Lycopene maintains the health condition of fish by enhancing the immune and antioxidative responses. This review article aimed to elucidate the current information about the potential use of dietary lycopene for several fish species and its capability to attenuate the oxidative stress and haemato‐immunological alterations resulted from aquatic environmental pollutants and other physical stressors. Additionally, the review discusses some aspects regarding the lycopene mode of action to assess the profits that would be of importance in the aquaculture industry.
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