ESSENTIAL OILS AS THERAPEUTIC AND PROPHYLACTIC AGENTS AND FEED ADDITIVES FOR AQUACULTURE (REVIEW)

Abstract

Purpose. Generalization and analysis of articles concerning the use of essential oils as components of aquaculture feeds and disinfectants to obtain information about the technology of their preparation and use as well as about their influence to the quality of fish feeds and their health. Materials and methods. A selection and systematic review of scientific literature on the research topic for the period 2011-2021 was carried out. Keyword searches were performed in bibliographic databases to select scientific articles. Results. Essential oils can be used in aquaculture as an effective treatment and prevention of infectious diseases, to control parasites, to improve the health of fish as immunostimulants, antioxidants and growth stimulants. But most of the studies were based on in vitro tests or were carried out under laboratory conditions, so their results need to be clarified under production conditions. It also needs to be established precisely which active substances in essential oils are responsible for their therapeutic effect. The active application of essential oils in aquaculture is hampered by their insufficient stability during feed preparation, storage and passage through the gastrointestinal tract of fish. Microencapsulation technology is recommended to overcome this disadvantage. Conclusion. The use of essential oils as therapeutic and prophylactic agents and feed additives is a promising strategy to reduce the use of traditional synthetic drugs in aquaculture. To effectively use foreign scientific results in Russian aquaculture, it is necessary to conduct research on replacement of essential oils obtained from exotic plants with oils from plants cultivated in our country based on the similarity of their composition.

Keywords

• review
• essential oils
• aquaculture
• feed
• feed additives
• phytobiotics
• antioxidants
• growth stimulants