review · Animals
Aquaculture requires safe and beneficial feed additives to support the production of healthy aquatic animals. Medicinal herbs and herbal extracts can alter fish performance when included in aquafeed diets. These plant-derived compounds can improve growth, stimulate the immune response, and decrease oxidative stress caused by standard aquaculture stressors. As a result, fish can develop greater resistance to infectious pathogens and environmental challenges. Although many herbal additives show promise, their precise modes of action have remained poorly documented. Examining gene expression provides clearer information about the mechanisms triggered by oral herbal supplementation. Analysing research on aquatic species fed medicinal herbs highlights how these additives influence the specific genes regulating growth and immunity, while also considering their prospective impacts on aquatic animal reproduction to support sustainable aquaculture practices.
Sustainable aquaculture relies on finding safe methods to protect fish health without harming the environment. Understanding how herbal supplements influence fish biology at a genetic level provides a clearer foundation for developing safer, natural feed additives that can prevent disease outbreaks and improve farming efficiency.
This research informs the development of functional herbal feed additives for aquafeed manufacturers and fish farmers seeking natural alternatives to improve fish health and productivity. Because this synthesis centres on review-level findings and genetic mechanisms of action, the insights represent an early to intermediate research stage that requires targeted formulation and farm-level testing before widespread commercial deployment.
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The crucial need for safe and healthy aquatic animals obligates researchers in aquaculture to investigate alternative and beneficial additives. Medicinal herbals and their extracts are compromised with diverse effects on the performances of aquatic animals. These compounds can affect growth performance and stimulate the immune system when used in fish diet. In addition, the use of medicinal herbs and their extracts can reduce oxidative stress induced by several stressors during fish culture. Correspondingly, aquatic animals could gain increased resistance against infectious pathogens and environmental stressors. Nevertheless, the exact mode of action where these additives can affect aquatic animals' performances is still not well documented. Understanding the mechanistic role of herbal supplements and their derivatives is a vital tool to develop further the strategies and application of these additives for feasible and sustainable aquaculture. Gene-related studies have clarified the detailed information on the herbal supplements' mode of action when administered orally in aquafeed. Several review articles have presented the potential roles of medicinal herbs on the performances of aquatic animals. However, this review article discusses the outputs of studies conducted on aquatic animals fed dietary, medicinal herbs, focusing on the gene expression related to growth and immune performances. Furthermore, a particular focus is directed to the expected influence of herbal supplements on the reproduction of aquatic animals.
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DOI: 10.3390/ani11082167
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