Integrative role of yeast culture metabolites in aquatic health and productivity

Aquaculture is an important source for the animal protein obtained through extensive farming. Worldwide aquaculture sector consistently confronts the challenges such as non-specific infections, low productivity and environmental stress. Saccharomyces cerevisiae being commonly utilized yeast species in aquaculture nutrition, especially for its growth-enhancing and health-promoting attributes in various cultured fish and crustacean species. Yeast culture metabolites (YCM) have emerged up as valuable feed ingredient to promote essential microbiota in ponds. Research on aquatic species such as tilapia, salmons and shrimps has shown that yeast metabolites beneficially affect growth performance, feed conversion ratio, digestive physiology, and gut morphology. The functional components regulate and activate immune responses, ultimately enhancing resistance to infections and overall aquatic health. Feed utilization efficiency in aquaculture species with an average of between 8 and 18 % reduction in FCR, which is attributed to the use of these yeast metabolites as feed additives in terms of fish production sustainability. Despite the increasing volume of experimental research, the current understanding of application in aquaculture remains limited. This review summarizes what is currently known about yeast functional metabolites, formulations, and various aquaculture applications. The integration of metabolites in feeds promoting sustainable farming methods and resilience in contemporary aquaculture.