Use of Plant-Based Bioactive Products in Good Aquaculture Practices (GAPs)

Dear Colleagues,

Good aquaculture practices (GAPs) are a set of principles, processes, and protocols aimed to support efficient and responsible aquaculture production and growth while also ensuring the final product quality, safety, and environmental sustainability. Within the perspective of this vision, the utilization of bioactive products derived from plants and/or plants in aquaculture activities, primarily in fish farming, is a very efficient method. Productive production is being carried out in aquaculture systems by applying different synthetic compounds to fish, particularly chemotropic applications, to minimize long-term damage. In recent years, increased nutritional awareness has led to a reduction in the consumption of foods derived from livestock that utilize chemotherapeutics in their production process. As actual scientists have determined that chemotropics used in animal husbandry methods produce residues in the edible tissues of animals and cause destruction to the environment, numerous authorities have restricted or limited their use in livestock activities. As a result, the provision of plants and plant-based products, which are mainly edible, as replacements for synthetics for the functions of disease prevention, immune system boosting, growth enhancement, and feed evaluation utilization performance in GAPs is a prominent research approach. The bioactive products derived from plants can improve the production performance of farmed fish species, and their effects can be assessed through the monitoring of blood parameters (hematological and biochemical parameters) which represent a valid tool for aquaculture and morphological analysis. The main purpose of this Special Issue is to gather studies designed to produce potential solutions for problems encountered in finfish aquaculture of plants and/or plant-extracted products instead of synthetics under a single and large-scope roof.

Potential topics include: 

1. Effects of plants and/or plant products on fish stress, welfare, and behavior;
2. Plant origin aqua feed supplements (antioxidants, antimicrobials, immune modulators, growth promoters, etc.);
3. Effects of plants and plant products on fish pathogens;
4. Use of plant products in fish nutrition;
5. Effects of plant products on aqua feed quality;
6. Effects of plants and plant products on aquaculture and sustainability;
7. Environmental outcomes of the use of plant products in aquaculture;
8. Effects of plants and/or plant products on fish growth and morphological changes.

Prof. Dr. Francesco Fazio
Dr. Maria Cristina Guerrera
Dr. Osman Sabri Kesbiç
Dr. Ümit Acar
Dr. Sevdan Yilmaz
Prof. Dr. Mohamed Shaban Hassaan
Guest Editors

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• good aquaculture practices
• plant extracts
• fish welfare
• blood parameters
• morphological changes
• fish disease control
• sustainable plant source
• feed quality