Application of probiotics for sustainable and environment-friendly aquaculture management - A review

AbstractThe sustainable use of scarce natural resources is a significant challenge for the aquaculture industry’s future development. There are several obstacles to future expansion, including problems with fish nutrition and disease management. Aquaculture is a rapidly growing industry that faces challenges in maintaining the sustainability and environmental friendliness of production. Aquatic environments make fish especially susceptible to widespread pathogens, making disease and health management important for sustainable development. The use of probiotics has been proposed as a potential solution to these challenges. Probiotics are live microorganisms that when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host. In aquaculture, probiotics have been shown to improve growth rates, disease resistance, and water quality. Using probiotics to modulate intestinal microbiota is an alternative method of reducing pathogen adhesion and colonization in larval, fry, and juvenile intestines. To increase the proportion of healthy bacteria in the gut, they are administered into a fish diet or water. However, the research on the applications of probiotics in sustainable and environmentally friendly aquaculture is still not fully completed. Further research is needed to address the knowledge gap and to investigate the potential benefits and limitations of probiotics in different aquaculture systems. Areas that need to be addressed include the selection and optimization of probiotics for specific aquaculture species and production systems, the development of effective delivery methods, and the assessment of the long-term effects of probiotic use on the environment and the host. By addressing these areas, probiotics can be integrated into sustainable and environmentally friendly aquaculture practices to support the growth of the industry while minimizing its impact on the environment. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the sources and standards of assortment and actions of microorganisms used in aquaculture as probiotics, whether native or commercial. Additionally, this review examines the mechanisms of action by which probiotics promote fish health and the current state of knowledge on the efficacy of probiotics in immunity, and the interchange between the reproduction and metabolism of probiotics in aquaculture. Overall, this review provides valuable insights for researchers and industry professionals seeking to effectively utilize probiotics in aquaculture. [Figure: see text