Probiotics in sustainable aquaculture: A comprehensive review on mechanisms of action and functional applications

Abstract

Aquaculture is one of the most rapidly expanding industries of food production and is of major significance for global food security, nutrition and economic growth. But industrial aquaculture is often challenged by disease outbreaks, environmental degradation, poor water quality and rising concerns about antimicrobial resistance due to excessive utilization of antibiotics. In this perspective, probiotics have been highlighted as possible eco-friendly methods for enhancing the health of aquatic organisms and contributing to sustainable aquaculture production. Probiotics have been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect through a number of mechanisms including modulation of gut microbial communities, competitive exclusion of pathogens, production of antimicrobial compounds, enhancement of digestive enzyme activity, stimulation of innate and adaptive immune responses and water quality improvement. Probiotics can be used for growth promotion, better feed utilization, higher resistance to diseases caused by bacterial, viral and parasite pathogens, stress reduction and improved survival and production in cultured species. Probiotics also help to sustainability through reduction of antibiotic reliance, better environmental management and support of more robust aquaculture system. Probiotics are a sustainable and effective means to enhance aquaculture health, productivity and environmental performance. Future research should focus on host-specific probiotic selection, delivery system optimization, long-term field validation, and creation of next-generation probiotics employing microbiome and omics-based techniques. The application of probiotics in aquaculture practice provides great prospects for developing sustainable and climate-resilient aquatic food production. This narrative review presents updated information on key thematic areas on probiotics.