Plant essential oils as fish diet additives: benefits on fish health and stability in feed

Abstract

Nutritional strategies focused on the use of phytochemicals as modulators of immunological and physiological responses, as well as antistress and antioxidant therapies and health promoters of the gastrointestinal tract have attracted increased interest in animal production. Over the past two decades, several studies have reported positive results of using plant essential oils (EOs) as dietary additive in several farm animal species. Recently, these nutritional alternatives have been evaluated and reported in fish production in order to enhance the resistance to diseases and prevent outbreaks, as well as to improve fish growth, animal welfare and feed utilization. However, despite the diverse and relevant biological activities reported, these phytochemicals are composed of often unstable and volatile molecules, which makes the chemical and physical characteristics of the EOs important aspects to be considered in fish nutrition research. This review summarizes the current knowledge regarding the use of plant EOs as fish dietary additives, focusing on their potential as modulators of the gut bacterial community and discussing some aspects regarding their stability in feeds.

Carvacrol and human health: A comprehensive review

“…Some EO constituents, including CV, have also been investigated in fish nutrition. Similar results previously reported on poultry were obtained in this field, that is, improved fish resistance to diseases, growth, and feed utilization (Sutili, Gatlin, Heinzmann, & Baldisserotto, ). Rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) juveniles fed diets containing from 1.0 to 3.0 g/kg of CV–TH showed significantly higher final weight and growth, food conversion ratio, lymphocyte number, whole‐body lipid and protein contents than the control group (Ahmadifar, Falahatkar, & Akrami, ).…”

Effects of dietary Bergamot ( Citrus bergamia ) peel oil on growth, haematology and immune response of European sea bass ( Dicentrarchus labrax ) juveniles

“…Moreover, animal health and welfare, food safety, environmental and social responsibilities were introduced under some framework programs like good aquaculture practices (GAP) (Council, 2014;Serfling, 2015). Therefore, studies on alternative plant-based feed additives for aqua-diets, also known as phytoadditives, are getting attraction (Citarasu, 2010;Sutili, Gatlin, Heinzmann, & Baldisserotto, 2018).…”

The use of feed and water additives for live fish transport

“…The use of plant essential oils as dietary supplements in aquaculture was recently reviewed (Sutili et al . ) but to our knowledge, only two studies have considered the effects of plant extracts on stress tolerance during transportation through administration as a dietary supplement. Turmeric ( Curcuma longa , Linnaeus 1758) has a variety of documented medicinal properties (anti‐inflammatory, Araújo & Leon ; immunostimulant, Chattopadhyay et al .…”