Yeast-based ingredients benefit fish immunity and skin protection

Lallemand Animal Nutrition is proud to contribute to the advance of aquaculture in Europe. During the latest European Aquaculture Society meeting in Madeira, October 4-7, the Lallemand Animal Nutrition team presented three new studies supporting the role of yeast-based functional ingredients on fish’s natural defenses, namely immunity and skin protection.

“Along the production cycle, many factors can destabilize the animal’s resilience and progressively develop into complex health situations,” says Eric Leclercq, Lallemand Animal Nutrition Aquaculture Technical Support and Research and Development Manager.” A key focus of our activity is on the promotion of the fish’s natural defenses using microbial-based ingredients. This year’s contributions offer further evidence that natural microbial solutions present an ocean of opportunities to sustain fish performance and aquaculture acceptance.”

Mitigating the impact of repetitive interventions in seawater salmon

Leclercq shared an oral presentation¹ about the potential to mitigate the impact of repetitive interventions on the health and mucosal robustness of Atlantic salmon post-smolt using functional ingredients.

The model mimicked the interventions commonly applied on commercial sea sites to control parasitic infection. The test compound combined a multi-strain yeast fraction product with a melon pulp concentrate rich in the primary antioxidant superoxide dismutase (MELOFEED). The study was performed at the University of Stirling under the guidance of Pf. Hervé Migaud and supported by Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC).

• The study documented a clear impact of repetitive-stress exposure across physiological and mucosal health markers.
• The supplemented fish showed a lower level of chronic stress and better maintenance of the skin mucosal barrier and antioxidant status under repetitive stress.

The authors concluded the dietary supplement “was able to mitigate the pernicious effects of repetitive handling and associated losses of mucosal robustness and recovery capacity. This is expected to have clear benefits at animal and farm level over the production cycle.”

Improved skin and mucosal health

Two additional studies presented confirmed the beneficial effects of the multi-strain yeast fraction product in different fish models.

Using an established mechanical skin wound model in adult zebrafish^2., the multi-strain yeast fractions fed continuously before dermal wounding was shown to promote early wound healing. Supplementation favored, in particular, the formation of new connective tissue at the wound bed which was associated with improved (anti)inflammatory and tissue remodeling biomarkers profile.

Another study conducted with a research partner, the University of Plymouth, United Kingdom, confirmed the effects of the multi-strain yeast fractions on the mucosal barrier and immunity of the gill, skin, and gut of salmonids (rainbow trout juveniles)³. Results showed the mucosal barrier defenses were improved.

In addition to the yeast product, this study also assessed the contribution of a bacterial paraprobiotic on fish mucosal health, indicating the positive potential for this new concept.

Zebrafish wound healing model. Left: dermal wound; right: the wound healing process (dermal wound diameter: 1 mm)

About Aquaculture Europe

According to the European Aquaculture Society (EAS), aquaculture has a clear place in securing food production in Europe and presents “Oceans of Opportunities” for development and investment if given the political and social license to expand and develop, with public awareness/acceptance of its role. The Aquaculture Europe 2021 event aims at exploring those oceans of opportunities. For more information visit: https://aquaeas.org/Meeting/AE2021