Polyphenol enriched diets for aquaculture applications

Abstract

Aquaculture is a highly productive sector, whose production expands at an average annual rate of 6.2% (period 2000–2012; FAO, 2014). However, many factors contribute to create adverse conditions heightening the susceptibility to infections and jeopardizing the world aquaculture production. Polyphenols may represent a valid alternative to antibiotics and medicines currently employed in animal farming (Alagawany et al., 2015). They may protect from oxidative stress and some diseases (Gupta and Prakash, 2014; Costantini et al., 2014). As natural products, they hold great promise in human and animal health, but currently remain poorly tested in aquaculture. In this presentation, we will illustrate the effects of a long term feeding trial carried out in the crayfish Astacus leptodactylus fed with diets containing olive mill waste water (OMWW). Our results show how growth performances, antioxidant and immunological parameters are improved in crayfish fed OMWW containing diets. Moreover, the effects on microbiota and metabolism will be reported. The future of plant polyphenols holds exciting opportunities for feed industries to create novel products, such as feed supplements. The employment of polyphenols as supplements for aquatic animals will lead to better food commodities and will represent an interesting resource for the feed industry sector.