Title : Bioactive compounds in plants: Can replace antibiotics in aquaculture?
Abstract:
Aquaculture supplies more than half of food production in the fishing sector, which is why it has become one of the most important practices for the food industry worldwide. Management, health, water quality and pathogen control are determining factors for the success of aquaculture.The need to produce food under strict quality standards and reduce the impact on the environment, leads to development of food industry, particularly aquaculture practices. Minimizing the impact of this industry, implies the use of non-chemical antimicrobials and better practices for a sustainable management. Search for alternatives for crop improvement and protection against pathogens is of utmost importance to avoid production losses and dispense with the use of antibiotics. In traditional medicine, plants have been used ancestrally for therapeutic purposes, which is why their antimicrobial potential is well recognized. Medicinal plants offer a natural and sustainable alternative with high antimicrobial capacities, particularly if native species are used. Its use and administration in aquaculture systems must be evaluated for effective use. Meditinal plants as basil, Ocimum basilicum L. and oregano, Origanum vulgare, are plants with a wide distribution in Mexico, both are able to inhibit the growth of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, an important pathogen in aquaculture practice. For this work, an exhaustive search was carried out for studies that evaluate the use of medicinal plant extracts in aquaculture, including research of our own authorship. According to this research, the antimicrobial potential, in addition to antioxidant, that medicinal plants can contribute to aquaculture practice is emphasized, which implies the elimination of harmful antibiotics from the environment and contributes to the improvement of aquaculture practice and the reduction of its impact. It is necessary to evaluate the mode of administration of medicinal plant extracts to better take advantage of the bioactive compounds.
Audience Take Away Notes:
- This research can be replicated with other medicinal plants native to the different regions producing marine farming organisms.
- This research provides a practical solution to viral and bacterial pathogens, avoiding the use of antibiotics, providing an efficient but more environmentally friendly solution
- A strategy is proposed to improve the administration method of natural antimicrobials to minimize losses due to pathogens in aquaculture
