Natural strategies to Improve Growth and Health in Massive Shrimp Cultures in Ecuador

Abstract

Shrimp, which is currently the second largest non-oil commercial product from Ecuador, should be preferably cultivated with natural organic products other than synthetic chemicals or antibiotics. Therefore, probiotics, prebiotics and immunostimulators such as lipopolysaccharides currently attract great attention for shrimp culturing, water quality management and treating aquatic diseases. In fact, probiotics based on either bacterium, yeasts or its components have been used successfully in practice. Also, the use of prebiotics as food additives for shrimps is extensively suggested. Lipopolysaccharides, which are the major component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria, are known to exert strong effects on the shrimp immune system. The present review highlights the use of these important biological entities as potential candidates to be used in Ecuadorian shrimp aquaculture. Despite a variety of positive effects of probiotic, prebiotic and LPS supplements on fish and crustaceans have been uncovered, significantly more information is still required in order to clarify and foresee the molecular impact of these biological entities in shrimps.