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Commercial essential oils screened for feed additive in tilapia
Specimen used for bacterial isolation
As a vital support to the economic development of the country, the needs of the tilapia farming industry should be continuously addressed to secure its profitability and sustainability. One of the ways to improve tilapia aquaculture production is to improve the quality of feeds. Addition of small doses of antibiotics in the fish feed has been practiced promoting growth and prevent infectious disease outbreak in fish culture. However, the negative impact of antibiotic use animal culture industry such the persistence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and accumulation of residue in the environment and fish flesh which could harm the consumers, has resulted in the search for more sustainable and environment friendly materials as feed additive. Additive obtained naturally from plants such as essential oils have gained great interest as these compounds have been established to have low toxicity, beneficial bioactive components and are economically viable. Essential oils extracted from indigenous plant species such as ginger, garlic, lemon grass and bamboo leaves are now available in the market and can be utilized in variety of ways. The project will attempt to explore the potential of these locally available essential oils as growth promoter and antibacterial agent in tilapia aquaculture. The outcome of this proposed project will provide aid in developing efficient management strategies for disease control and growth promotion, which will subsequently contribute to achieving sustainability in tilapia aquaculture.
