BIOLOGICAL CONTROL AGENTS IN AQUACULTURE: PROBIOTICS, PREBIOTICS, PHYTOBIOTICS AND OTHER FUNCTIONAL DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS AND THEIR AVAILABILITY FOR COMMERCIAL USE IN TURKEY

Ulviye Karacalar1, Erkan Can2, Murathan Kayim2, Seyhaneyildiz Can3 , Ilker Z. Kurtoglu4, Adef Othan5 and Addison L. Lawrence6

1 Ege University Faculty of fisheries, 62000 Tunceli, Turkey
3 Tunceli Faculty of Fisheries, 62000 Tunceli, Turkey
3 Tunceli Tunceli Vacatonal School, Fisheries Department, 62000 Tunceli, Turkey
4 Recep Tayyip Ero, Faculty of Fisheries, 62000 Rize, Turkey
5 Mississippi State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, 36762, Starkville, MS, USA
6 Texas AgriLife Research Texas A & M University System Port Aransas, Texas, USA
With the increasing intensification and commercialization of aquaculture production, disease is an increasing problem in aquaculture industry. Prevention and treatment of diseases have led during recent decades to a substantial increase in the use of veterinary medicines. However, the utility of antimicrobial agents as a preventive measure has been questioned, given extensive documentation of the evolution of antimicrobial resistance among pathogenic bacteria. There is a risk associated with the transmission of resistant bacteria from aquaculture environments to humans, and risk associated with the introduction in the human environment of nonpathogenic bacteria, containing antimicrobial resistance genes, and the subsequent transfer of such genes to human pathogens. In connection with the ban of antibiotic growth promoters new strategies in feeding and health management in aquaculture practice have received much attention. Feed additives such as probiotics, prebiotics, essential oils and acidifiers which also promote beneficial bacteria and decrease pathogenic bacteria in aquacultured animals have the potential of completely replacing the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animals. There has been heightened research in developing these new dietary supplementation strategies in which various health and growth promoting compounds as probiotics, prebiotics, phytobiotics and other functional dietary supplements have been evaluated. Their availability for commercial use in aquaculture is also discussed.

Key Words: Aquaculture, biological agent, health, antimicrobial resistance, commercial use