Herbal biomedicines: a new opportunity for aquaculture industry

Hormones, antibiotics, vitamins and several other chemicals have been tested in aquaculture operations for various remedies. Even though they give positive effects, they cannot be recommended due to their residual and other side effects. The alternative herbal bio-medicinal products in the aquacultural operations, that have the characteristics of growth promoting ability and tonic to improve the immune system, act as appetite stimulators. They increase consumption, induce maturation, and have antimicrobial capability and also antistress characteristics that will be of immense use in the culture of shrimps and other fin fishes without any environmental and hazardous problems. Herbal compounds such as phenolics, polyphenols, alkaloids, quinones, terpenoids, lectines and polypeptides have been shown to be very effective alternatives to antibiotics and other synthetic compounds. The present paper is presented after a careful review of more than 50 herbal plants for their biological effects such as growth promotion, immunostimulation, antistress, antibacterial, antifungal, antivirals, appetite stimulators and aphrodisiac.