ابراهیم ستوده

In recent years aquaculture has shown increasing development in terms of production. However, due to intensive farming methods, infectious diseases caused heavy economic losses. The use of antibiotics to control disease due to negative effects such as the creation of antibiotic resistant bacteria, immunosuppression, environmental pollution and accumulation of chemical residues in fish tissue has been widely criticized. On the other hand, although vaccination as the most effective method for preventing the spread of the disease, But the high cost of producing an effective vaccine formulation and antigenic heterogeneity of microbial species are considered as obstacles to vaccine production. In recent years, interest in the use of medicinal plants as an immune stimulant to enhance immune response and resistance to diseases in farmed fish has increased. It seems that due to its easy availability, low cost and environmentally friendly, the medicinal plants and products derived from these plants can be used as a source of bioactive molecules. Furthermore, these substances have beneficial effects such as reducing stress, increasing growth and play an appetizer in fish. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of recent research dealing with the use of medicinal plants in aquaculture. Special attention is given to the information about the effects of plant extracts/products on fish growth, haematological pro?les, immune responses and resistance to infectious diseases.