FEATURE

GUT HEALTH

IN 4 (EASY)
STEPS

uch has been made of

gut health recently. By
unpacking the concept,
we can arrive at a
better understanding
of the driving factors,
influences, indicators and
implications of gut health
for aquaculture.

1 - Gut health is crucial for aquaculture

One of the first challenges that we face in aquaculture is precisely

the environment where fish live, breathe, eat and defecate: the
water. In aquaculture, fish and shrimp live in close connection
with the surrounding environment. Through the ingestion of
water, aquatic farmed animals constantly face pathogens and
environmental stress in the gut. If we would compare, for
example, the amount of bacteria in air and water, you will be
faced with about 1,000,000 bacteria per millilitre of water in
coastal areas. In aquaculture systems or special in intensive
systems, this number will be considerably higher. Adding to this,
most bacteria found in aquatic environments are opportunistic,
and therefore have the potential to become pathogenic. Good gut
health is important in limiting the risk.

2 - Defining gut health

The term gut health is part of a complex animal health definition

that relies on a diverse set of gut performance indicators (depicted
in lower portion of Figure 1). In aquaculture, the diversity of
farmed species makes this even more complex. We would say
that the key feature of the gastrointestinal tract comprises its
ability to digest feed and make it suitable for absorption and
growth under healthy conditions, e.g. in the absence of disease,
leading to improved animal performance. At BIOMIN we define
gut performance management according to three objectives
(Table 1).

3 - Understanding gut health as a whole

Understanding gut health requires the elucidation of the complex

interactions between different components that will allow the gut
to perform under normal physiological functions and to maintain
homeostasis, thereby supporting its ability to withstand infections
and non-infectious stressors. Such complex interactions can
be grouped in three pillars: animal physiology, nutrition and
environment (shown as main categories in Figure 1). These three
main factors interact, influencing the gastrointestinal microbiota
community, and consequently, gut performance.

Fish physiology

An animals physiological status can be characterised by its

metabolism, which is set according to; gastrointestinal anatomy/
physiology variations according to each species, feeding habits,
diet, nutrition and physiological condition. It is further influenced
by health challenges and defense mechanisms. Defence
mechanisms will have particularities inherent to each species and
some pathogens will also be species-specific.

by Rui Gonalves, Scientist,

Gonalo Santos, R&D
Manager at BIOMIN

Nutrition

The second pillar focuses on nutritional aspects, where raw

material quality and origin sources in particular can affect

20 | January | February 2016 - International Aquafeed

FEATURE

Nutrition

Cha
lle
ng

ity
mun
o im
t
es
ng
lle
a
Ch

ironment
Env

GUT
HEALTH

Anti-inflammatory
responses
Gut immunity
Pathogens

Defen
ces
/p
a
t
h
og
en
s

Pathogens
(bacteria,
Virus, etc)
Antigenic stimuli

Host physiology

salinity
temperature
oxygen
pH
Rearing densities

Digestability
Anti nutritional factors
Mycotoxins
Oxidation
Palatability
Performance
Impact on the end-product quality
Cost efficiency
Sustainability (FIFO ratio)
Specie phylogeny
Specie ontogeny
dapting mic
Feeding habits
/a
ro
g
b
Diet
in
Nutrition
Physiological conditions

munity
com
ta
io

m
olis
tab
Me

Stre
ss
fac
to
rs

l quality/s
materia
ourc
es
Raw

Effective digestion and absorption

Stable gut microbial population
Structure and function of the gut barrier
Effective function of the immune system

Gu
t pe
ors
rforma
nce indicat

Table 1:

gastrointestinal health. Diet digestibility, anti-nutritional factors,

mycotoxin contamination and lipid oxidation can all influence
the microbiota community. Nutrition is especially important
nowadays due to the pressure to replace fishmeal and fish oil with
alternative ingredients.

Environmental influences

The final pillar, environment, takes into account both the

richness of the aquatic environment, including pathogens and
antigenic stimuli, and the influence of these surroundings on
the animals homeostasis. Aquatic animals are constantly
ingesting the surrounding water, thus pathogens and antigenic
stimuli present in water, are also ingested and will challenge or
adapt the microbiota community. At the same time, aquaculture
species are constantly being exposed to environmental stress,
including; variations of salinity, temperature, oxygen, pH and
rearing stress. This environmental stress will influence the host
homeostasis by directly affecting the microbiota community
and indirectly influencing the energy budget spent to recover
homeostasis.

4 Tools for managing gut health

Microbial metabolic activities ensure the uptake of energy

and the absorption of nutrients, promote gastric development,
and stimulate epithelial cell proliferation and differentiation,

Gut performance management objectives

1) Improve the efficiency of the gut
2) Prevent gastrointestinal disorders and
related side effects
3) Re-establish gut integrity after a
dysfunction
Source: BIOMIN
while maintaining mucosal tolerance and providing protective
functions against pathogens. As a result, there is great scientific
interest in modulation of the intestinal microbiota in favor of
beneficial bacteria through the use of novel feed additives such as
probiotics, prebiotics, phytogenics, organic acids and mycotoxin
risk management tools sometimes in combination.

Conclusion

The intestinal microbiota plays an important role in the health

and well-being of aquatic animals. The anatomy and physiology
of aquatic animals gastrointestinal tracts will have important
determinants for the establishment of the quantitative and
qualitative aspects of its microbiota. The three pillars of gut
health will allow us modulate some aspects to achieve an
effective digestive process, a stable gut microbial population,
correct structure and function of the gut barrier, and effective
immune system function. The use of feed additives and
bioremediation tools can in some cases influence the three
factors to effectively support gut health and improve animal
performance.

International Aquafeed - January | February 2016 | 21