ISSUE FOCUS 52 FEED & ADDITIVE MAGAZINE August 2024 “The co-culture of probiotics in aquaculture production is proving to be a gamechanger for the industry. By introducing multiple beneficial bacterial strains into the feed food, farmers can significantly enhance the overall health and productivity of their fish. These probiotics work synergistically to improve water quality, boost the immune systems of the fish, and promote better nutrient absorption and growth rates.” Aquaculture activities have experienced significant growth worldwide, emerging as a crucial contributor to the global food production sector. According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global aquaculture production has risen to over 114 million tons as of 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 5-6% over recent decades. Key contributors to this growth include the intensification of farming practices, technological advancements, and increased demand for fish as a healthy protein source Despite advancements in farming techniques and disease management, challenges such as disease outbreaks, climate change, and market fluctuations persist. Sustainability efforts focus on reducing environmental impacts through better water management, reduced chemical use, and improved waste management, underpinned by evolving regulatory frameworks to ensure product safety and sustainability. Particularly, the application of probiotics is a promising alternative to antibiotics for disease management in aquaculture. Probiotics are live microorganisms, which when administered in sufficient amounts, confer beneficial effects on the host (FAO). These probiotics reconfigure the intestinal microbiome toward a more efficient and healthy state, optimizing nutrient absorption, promoting animal health, replacing antibiotic growth promoters, and minimizing environmental impact. However, it is necessary to establish criteria for the selection of a functional additive, particularly microorganisms, and microbiomes, such as tolerance to acid, heat, and oxygen; capacity for adherence and colonization to the epithelium; ability to stimulate an immune response; antagonisms to pathogens; ability to improve host digestion, conservation, and viability problems during the processing. The efficacy of probiotics is not just restricted to the gastrointestinal tract, but it plays a significant role in improving the overall health of the host by promoting growth, enhancing immune parameters, and improving the quality of the culture water (Leong et al., 2023). The addition of probiotics to the aquaculture system has been proven to improve growth performance, water quality, and disease resistance of tilapia, Oreochromis sp. (Chauhan et al., 2019). REVOLUTIONIZING TILAPIA FARMING: Boosting Productivity with Microencapsulated co-culture Probiotics Catalina Bedoya Ortiz Technical Sales Analyst Bialtec
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTUxNjkxNQ==