Beneficial effects of some selected feed additives for European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.): a review

Document Type : Review

Authors

• Elham Amaly Wassef ¹
• Norhan El Sayed Saleh ¹
• hany Abdel-Latif ²

¹ National Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (NIOF), Cairo, Egypt

² Department of Poultry and Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, 22578, Egypt

10.22034/iar.2023.1991927.1473

Abstract

European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax L.) is one of the most commercially important marine fish species and is widely farmed in several Mediterranean regions. For a long period, researchers have focused on finding functional feed supplements that maximize the productivity and profitability of seabass farming. This article will primarily focus on reviewing the beneficial effects of selected promising feed additives and their possible application in the aquaculture of European seabass, such as organic acid salts (sodium butyrate, sodium propionate, potassium diformate, and sodium diformate), taurine, astaxanthin, and some selected macroalgae such as Ulva spp., Gracilaria spp., and Pterocladia capillacae. This review also highlights the optimal dietary supplementation dose for different sizes of European seabass. Their beneficial effects on growth, feed utilization, biochemical composition, health status, immune responses, gut microbiome, intestinal integrity/histomorphology, and skeletal muscle cellularity were also discussed. The literature data will spotlight the application of these dietary supplements for farmed European seabass, which may facilitate monitoring of adequate fish health status, exploit their advantageous effects and potentially assist in the formulation of aquaculture feeding strategies.

Keywords

• Feed additives
• Seabass
• Acidifiers
• Taurine
• Astaxanthin
• Macroalgae

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