FEATURE
NEW TRIALS CONFIRM STRONG RESULTS WITH
PROBIOTICS by BioMar
B
ioMar is at the moment introducing probiotics in still more diets around the world. The background is new strong research results from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.
In new trial results from Chile the company can achieve a 40 percent reduction of the occurrence of deformities in fry as well as improved growth and gut health for trout fed with its probiotic strain Pediococcus acidilactici CNCM MA 18/5M (Bactocell®). Simultaneously, results from trials done in the United Kingdom indicate a positive effect of probiotics on the immune response in midsized salmon. And in France trials with a new Larviva Pro diet suggest a new era in larval rearing methods can be close.
Improved growth and less deformities in Chile
“Our European colleagues in BioMar and partners in Lallemand SAS have presented a very strong documentation for the benefits of the addition of the unique probiotic strain Pediococcus acidilactici CNCM MA 18/5M (Bactocell®) to feeds for many different fish species. Therefore, here in Chile we are proceeding with the use of Bactocell® in our commercial diets,” says Andrés Millan, sales director of BioMar Chile, is pleased with the first trial results obtained in Chile, where
Above: The square cages of the BioMar’s marine trial facility where the large probiotics trials on salmonids are carried out are neighbouring the circular net pens of the commercial Musholm fish farm.
probiotics were introduced in BioMar diets recently. The field trials done in Chile with rainbow trout fry both support the existing theory and bring new knowledge. The trials were conducted in collaboration between BioMar and Aquachile, a major producer of salmon, coho and trout at the facilities of Aquachile in Quetroleufu, Chile. Andrés Millan explains that the results first of all showed a reduction in the occurrence of deformities by 40 percent “Deformities are both associated with mortalities among the fry and lost income on the final product. The fish might survive with minor deformities, but the final fillet will be of a lower visual quality. “The trials also showed an improvement in growth performance with a larger share of the fry reaching the highest size category at the end of the trial after 140 days,” he added.
Significant changes in the intestine
While the reduction in deformities and the improved growth was expected in the Chilean trial, some new knowledge was obtained when researchers took a closer look at the gut histology. They discovered a significant improvement in the condition of the posterior part of the gut The distal part of the intestine of fish fed 18 | INTERNATIONAL AQUAFEED | July-August 2014
feed with added probiotics was significantly thicker than the same section from fish from the control group, says Andrés Millan. He explains that the thickening of the intestine was the result of an increased length of the microvilli in the intestine. “This is obviously a very interesting result, because longer microvilli means improved nutrient absorption and that again contributes to a better feed conversion and growth.” The histology also revealed that there were no signs of inflammation in the intestine of the fish fed with probiotics. Andrés Millan believes that this is linked to the improved micro-flora in the intestine of fish having received feed with probiotics. But he also acknowledges, that far more research has to be done regards to the benefits of probiotics in fish. Probiotics have for long been a “must” in all husbandry production, and several probiotics have also been marketed for fish in Latin America and Asia, but according to Andrés Millan, this has far too often been done with very limited and partial documentation. “The effect of probiotics is temperature dependent, so an indiscriminate transfer of probiotics which do work at 37 deg C in land animals to fish living at 8-14 deg C does not make sense – you must carefully select and document the specific strains which work in fish at low temperatures.”