Over the years, aquaculture has shown increasing
development in terms of production. However, due
to intensive farming practices, infectious diseases
represent the main problem in fish farms, causing
heavy economic losses. The use of antibiotics for
controlling diseases is widely criticized for its
negative impact, including selection of antibioticresistant
bacterial strains, immunosuppression,
environmental pollution and accumulation of
chemical residues in fish tissues. On the other
hand, though vaccination is the most effective prophylactic
method of preventing disease outbreaks,
the development of effective formulations is often
hindered by high production costs and the antigenic
heterogeneity of the microbial strains.
Recently, there has been increased interest in the
possibility of using medicinal herbs as immunostimulants,
capable of enhancing immune
responses and disease resistance of cultured fish.
Plant-derived products seem to represent a promising
source of bioactive molecules, being at the
same time readily available, inexpensive and biocompatible.
The aim of this article is to provide an
overview of recent research dealing with the use
of medicinal plants in aquaculture. Special attention
is given to the information about the effects of
plant extracts/products on fish growth, haematological
profiles, immune responses and resistance
to infectious diseases.
