PHYTOGENICS
Natural oregano essential oil sustainably supports gut health for optimal performance Lawrence Brown, Anpario plc
In aquaculture production, supporting optimum gut health can have a beneficial impact on health and performance. Ensuring a healthy gut, in terms of both the gut structure and microbial population, can be fundamental in maximizing producer profitability which is of great importance, particularly with rising costs of raw materials and feed manufacturing. A well-balanced and diverse gut microbiome is known as a state of eubiosis. It is well recognized that eubiosis has a profound impact on metabolic and immune homeostasis, ultimately having a direct effect on fish and shrimp health and wellbeing. Optimal gut health is associated with the proliferation of beneficial bacteria, as well as assisting in natural digestive processes and endogenous enzyme activity. This helps support the absorption of nutrients, leading to improved feed conversion and better growth performance. With proven efficacy across a multitude of species, phytogenic feed additives can provide a multitude of benefits in supporting aquaculture health and performance. The Orego-Stim range from Anpario is developed from a unique source of 100% natural oregano essential oil (OEO) and contains multiple compounds which work in synergy to offer several welldocumented properties and functions. This includes antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and antioxidant functions. Such properties mean that fish and shrimp health and performance can be maintained while supporting antibiotic-free production systems. While there are many phytogenic products available on the market for aquaculture producers, with the aim of supporting profitability, aqua health and performance and a reduction in antibiotic use, it is
important that a natural source of the plant oil is used for optimum efficiency. 2009 research conducted on catfish has shown that natural sources of OEO, such as that found in Anpario’s Orego-Stim range, are more efficient than synthetic oils. Zheng et al. (2009) reported a significantly greater body weight gain, a significantly improved feed conversion ratio and numerically greater
Aquafeed: Advances in Processing & Formulation Vol 14 Issue 3 2022
