AQUAFEED ADVANCES IN PROCESSING & FORMULATION

An Aquafeed.com publication

VOL 8 ISSUE 2 Ju ly 2016

FOCUS: Substituting for fishmeal

Key issues in aquatic feed plant design

Nutraceuticals From Waste Streams Kemin Wins Aquafeed Innovation Award

Interview

with Einar Wathne

Mineral supplementation in aquaculture

20

During APA 2016 (Surabaya - Indonesia),

in the session Animal Health & Welfare,

SILO SpA held an oral presentation

focused on the efficacy of a specific

composition of short and medium chain

1-Monoglycerides in improving growth

rate, FCR and survival rate in several

aquatic species. The composition is

available on the market under the

commercial name SILOhealth 108.

SILO started its research activity on

glycerides of short- and medium-chain

fatty acids in 2002; in 2009 SILO filed the

patent “Compositions containing C1 to

C7 organic acid monoglycerides and

glycerol, their preparation and use as

antibacterial and anti-mould agents” for

treating animals. In 2015 the EU-Patent

was granted. The patent was filed in

several extra EU countries, including

China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, other

Asiatic and SA countries.

Efficacy in vitro at pH 7 – 8

SILOhealth 108 is the result of a

pluriannual research activity. It proved to

exert a selective antibacterial action

against pathogenic bacteria

independently from the environmental

pH, being antibacterial also at pH 7- 8,

that is in the conditions of the organs of

aquatic species such as gut, liver and

hepatopancreas.

The Minimum Inhibitory Concentration

(MIC) of SILOhealth 108 at pH 7 – 8

against Aeromonas hydrophila,

Aeromonas salmonicida, Vibrio

alginolyticus, Vibrio parahaemolyticus,

Vibrio mimicus, Photobacterium

damselae, Bacillus cereus, Edwarsiella

ictaluri, Streptococcus uberis,

Pseudomonas anguilliseptica,

Pseudomonas dermoalba, Tenacibaculum

maritimum, Flavobacterium

psychrophilum, Flavobacterium

columnare Yersinia ruckery ranges in fact

between 0.01% and 0.1%, according to

AQUAFEED::ADVANCES IN PROCESSING & FORMULATION from Aquafeed.com Vol 8 Issue 2

By Manuela Parini, SILO SpA

A specific composition of short- and medium-

chain 1-Monoglycerides to prevent EMS and to

control Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Aeromonas spp.,

Streptococcus uberis, Flavobacterium spp.,

Yersinia ruckery, Pseudomonas spp. and other

pathogenic bacteria in aquatic species.

NEW PRODUCT FOCUS

Figure 1. Regions where SILOhealth 108 exerts a selective antibacterial action

against pathogenic bacteria

21

results of a trial conducted by the Public

Animal Health Institute “Bruno Ubertini”

– Italy.

A crucial advantage of SILOhealth 108 is

that it does not inhibit the beneficial

Lactobacillus acidophilus and plantarum.

The antibacterial action proved to be

very selective since the growth of the

beneficial micro-flora was enhanced

while harmful bacteria were inhibited.

Efficacy in vivo against Aeromonas

hydrophila: trials with sturgeon

and carp

SILOhealth 108 proved to be effective in

vivo, in different species such as sturgeon

and carp, in reducing mortality caused by

A. hydrophila.

In a trial with juvenile Acipenser

transmontanus (White Sturgeon), each

fish (live weight 3.1 g) was infected with

11x106 CFU of A. hydrophila through

intraperitoneal injection. The trial was

conducted with 612 individuals, allotted

to 2 groups, 3 replications, under the

supervision of the Public Animal Health

Institute “Bruno Ubertini” – Italy.

The control group received a standard

commercial feed; the treated group

received the same feed supplemented

with 0.8% of SILOhealth 108. 20 days

after infection the mortality in SILOhealth

108 group was reduced by 76%, that is

from 38.9% to 9.4% (p<0.001), the SGR

was increased by 13% (p<0.01.), while

the FCR was reduced by 10% (p<0.05)

compared to the control group (Figure 2.)

A double effect was achieved in the trial:

- sanitary control of pathogens

with consequent dramatic mortality

reduction

- notable improvement of

nutritional parameters like SGR and FCR.

Another trial was conducted in a 4 ha

pond populated with 30,000 Rohu (an

Indian major carp). The inclusion of 0.5%

of SILOhealth 108 in the feed reduced

the mortality caused by A. hydrophila

from 12% to 1.8% after only 3 days of

administration. In 2 control ponds

populated with 24,000 and 35,000 carp

respectively, treatments with

enrofloxacin, oxytetracycline and

furazolidone reduced the mortality

caused by A. hydrophila by the same

degree, but after 6 days of treatment.

Results achieved with completely

different species such as the sturgeon

and carp confirm the specie independent

mode of action of SILOhealth 108.

Improvement of growth rate and

FCR in Penaeus vannamei

1-Monoglycerides contained in

SILOhealth 108 have a positive impact on

AQUAFEED::ADVANCES IN PROCESSING & FORMULATION from Aquafeed.com Vol 8 Issue 2

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Control SILOhealth 108

% of Mortality post-infection

1.05

1.1

1.15

1.2

1.25

1.3

1.35

Control SILOhealth 108

SGR

2.25

2.3

2.35

2.4

2.45

2.5

2.55

2.6

2.65

2.7

Control SILOhealth 108

FCR

Control SILOhealth 108 Control SILOhealth 108 Control SILOhealth 108

Figure 2. Mortality, SGR and FCR in juvenile sturgeon after intraperitoneal challenge with 11x106 CFU of A. hydrophila

P. Vannamei trials

22

lipids digestion, since they emulsify the

dietary oils and fats, increase their

micellar dispersibility, availability and

absorption in the digestive tract.

Furthermore one specific 1-

Monoglyceride contained in SILOhealth

108 stimulates tight junctions expression

and the reparation of lesions caused by

bacteria or dietary intolerances. These

effects are performed in the entire

digestive tract, liver and hepatopancreas

included.

Another nutritional advantage is related

to the energy supply. Short- and medium

chain fatty acids bonded to the glycerol

are a highly digestible energetic source

for aquatic species in all growing periods.

Effects of SILOhealth 108 on growth

performance were measured in several

trials conducted in the Vetapalam area of

Praksham district of Andhra Pradesh

(India).

In 2 one-hectare-ponds, stocked with

700,000 post larvae of P. vannamei, on

day 63 the average weight of shrimp

from the control pond was 12.73 g, while

in the pond treated with SILOhealth 108

(0.5% of the feed) it was 14.56 g (+15%).

The FCR was 1.68 in the control pond and

1.35 in the SILOhealth 108 pond.

Feed intake time and growth rate were

compared in 2 one-hectare-ponds with

stocking density of 40 shrimp / m2.

Shrimp in treated pond received the

same feed of control pond, but

supplemented with 0.6% of SILOhealth

108 in 2 meals per day. Feed intake time

and growth rate of the 2 groups are

reported in Table 1.

Control of EMS caused by V.

parahaemolyticus

A promising application of SILOhealth

108 is its use to reduce mortality caused

by V. parahaemolyticus. A trial was

carried out in Guangdong Province

(China) in three seawater aerated ponds,

each 1600 m2 in size, with a density of

210 shrimp / m2.

Thirty days after stocking outbreak of

EMS was observed. Mortality ranged

from 35-40% of the individuals in each

check tray per day combined with

anorexia, hepatopancreas reddening, low

feed intake, white gut and white fecal

matter.

SILOhealth 108 was then added to the

feed at a dose of 1%. After only 3 days of

feeding, shrimp mortality reduced by

70%. Total mortality was reduced by 93%

after 5 days. Normal growth, feed intake

and vitality were restored. No further

EMS outbreak was observed until

harvesting.

Conclusions

The results of the test in vitro show that

low concentrations of SILOhealth 108

(from 0.01% to 0.1%) inhibit the growth

of several pathogenic bacteria, without

inhibiting the beneficial Lactobacillus, at

pH 7 – 8. SILOhealth 108 has a dose

response effect: high dosages are

implemented only in case of high

mortality, for a few days. In the standard

feed applications, to achieve growth

promoting effects and infections

prevention, the dosages range from 2 to

3 kg/ ton of feed (continued

administration).

Microflora modulation, emulsifying

properties, beneficial effects on cells

renewal are the combined effects of

SILOhealth 108, which represents a

promising approach to improve growth

performance, feed conversion, resistance

against pathogenic bacteria and survival

rate in fish and crustaceans, in a specie

independent way.

AFΩ

AQUAFEED::ADVANCES IN PROCESSING & FORMULATION from Aquafeed.com Vol 8 Issue 2

Pond area

(ha) Stocking density

(shrimp / m²)

Feed intake time

(hours)

Growth rate (g /week)

Control 1 40 shrimp 2 1.8

SILOhealth 108 1 40 shrimp 1.5 2.6

Table 1. Feed intake time and growth rate in 2 one-hectare-ponds with stocking density of 40

panaeus vannamei / m2

More information.

Manuela Parini is a member of

the R&D team of SILO SpA.,

Firenze, Italy.

E:manuela.parini@silospa.com