Insights into prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics towards growth, performance, immune responses, and disease resistance in aquaculture

Aquaculture has reached new heights in recent years, which helps overcome the world’s protein needs. Efforts have been put forth to increase production using various techniques. Disease management is crucial in the aquaculture industry. Chemicals and antibiotics were excessively used to reduce the outbreak of diseases. This can lead to unwanted exposure of antibiotics to the environment. Alternate methods have been introduced to overcome this issue and maintain the species’ and surroundings’ health. Prebiotics and probiotics play a significant role in fish health through the beneficial bacteria that come with fermented food. It directly impacted the immune system of fish health by activating immune system response cells like phagocytosis and activation of neutrophils. Immunosaccharides present in the probiotics directly affect the fish’s immune system. Certain probiotics were designed to express and deliver immune-modulatory molecules. Live beneficial microbes were mixed with suitable substrate (probiotics complementary and probiotics synergistic). They promote overall health and help fight degenerative and non-transmissible diseases. This review summarizes recent research on using prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics in fish aquaculture, mainly focusing on enhanced growth, better immune response, and developing disease resistance.