The Role of Functional Feed Additives in Tilapia Nutrition

Abstract

Aquaculture feeds are formulated with a vast pool of ingredient to meet nutritional requirements of fish for normal physiological functions, including maintaining a highly effective natural immune system, growth, and reproduction. To ensure the dietary nutrients are ingested, digested, absorbed, and transported to the cells, an increasing diversity of non-nutritive feed additives are being used in aquatic feeds. Feed additives are supplemented in small amounts to tilapia for a specific purpose in aquaculture. Feed containing functional feed additives promote the growth and health of tilapia, improve their immune systems, and induce physiological benefits beyond traditional feeds. Probiotics, prebiotics, phytogenic substances, immune-stimulants, enzymes, hormones, mycotoxin binders, organic acids etc., are best functional feed additives to manage and regulate tilapia performance and improve aquaculture profit.

Evaluation of Tannin Extracts, Leonardite and Tributyrin Supplementation on Diarrhoea Incidence and Gut Microbiota of Weaned Piglets

“…In addition to their nutritional value, functional feed ingredients contain bioactive compounds and nutricines which exert beneficial activities on the organism (immunomodulatory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial effects, etc.) with positive impacts also on animal performance and general farm profitability [17][18][19].…”

A Review on Feed Additives used in Fish Diet

“…The fishing have also been connected with a fast increase in fish consumption, as well as the presence of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential for humans other than high quality and feed additives. According to [25] the feed contain useful feed additives encourage the growth and physical condition of tilapia, get better their immune systems, and encourage physiological benefits away from traditional feeds. The feed additives such as probiotics, prebiotics, phytogenic substances, immune-stimulants, enzymes, hormones, mycotoxin binders, organic acids etc.…”

Dietary inclusion effect of ginger (Zingiber officinale) and garlic (Allium sativum) blend on growth, feed nutrients utilization and retention in African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fry in intensive system

“…Feed additives are edible substances that are supplemented to feeds in small amounts (alone or in combination) for a specifi c purpose, such as to improve fi sh performance and quality, to preserve the physical and chemical quality of the feed as well as that of the aquatic environment [8,9]. Several studies have proven the positive potentials of spices and medicinal plants as feed additives in aquaculture for better growth and survival [10,11].…”

“…Phyto-additives or Phytogenic feed additives are plantderived, natural compounds that are added to feed to improve it quality and animal performance. They may be both nutritive and non-nutritive ingredients and work by either direct or indirect methods on the animal's system [9,12]. Phytogenic feed additives can be classifi ed into several groups: sensory phyto-additives, which affect positively the sensory properties of animal products; technological phyto-additives, which have antioxidant and anti-mold properties; zootechnical phytoadditives, which are immunomodulators, digestive stimulants acting on the activity of digestive enzymes, growth promoters of non-microbial origin as well as substances increasing performance or quality of animal products; nutritional phytoadditives, which are exceptionally rich in vitamins, minerals, micro and macro molecules [13][14][15].…”