A Review Studies on Role of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Improved Growth, Enhancing Immunity and Gut Health in Fish Farming

JaliI, Sarmad; Khaudeyer, Khalidah; Najim, Salah M.

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2025.413121.6393

A Review Studies on Role of Lactic Acid Bacteria in Improved Growth, Enhancing Immunity and Gut Health in Fish Farming

Document Type : Review articles

Authors

¹ Fish pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Shatrah University, Iraq

² dep. of vertebrates, marine sci. center unv. basrah

³ Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources, College of Agriculture, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq

10.21608/ejabf.2025.413121.6393

Abstract

This study aims to review and analyze recent studies on the use of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as probiotics in fish farming, focusing on the period from 2010 to 2024. The results demonstrate that LAB plays an important role in improve growth rates, enhancing immunity, and improving feed conversion efficiency, in addition to supporting gut health and aquatic environment quality. Strains such as Pediococcus acidilactici and Lactobacillus plantarum are among the most effective and commonly used. Evidence also indicates the importance of using local strains adapted to the culture environment to achieve the best results, and emphasizes the need to determine optimal dosages to avoid any side effects. Despite the promising results, the study highlights a lack of long-term applied studies in local environments, especially in Iraq, indicating the need to expand field research. The study concludes with recommendations for increased field research, the definition of precise application protocols, monitoring the effects of long-term use, and the development of new strains and their combination with other probiotics. It also highlights future trends that rely on modern microbiome technologies and artificial intelligence to enhance the sustainability and effectiveness of aquaculture systems.

Keywords