Improving tilapia production with functional yeasts

Editor/Mohamed Shihab

Phileo by Lesaffre has unveiled a functional nutrition programme for tilapia farming, increasing its footprint in aquaculture.

Gathering more than 10 years of work in the tilapia industry, Phileo by Lesaffre has launched a dedicated programme that aims to improve tilapia gut health and support disease prevention strategies.

The Aquasaf tilapia programme was conceived to maximise productivity, profitability and sustainability of tilapia farming using Phileo’s functional yeast probiotics and post-biotics.

To build the programme, Phileo has drawn on knowledge from more than ten research projects carried out in China, Thailand, Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico and the Philippines using different products and their combination, both in lab and field conditions.

The programme provides science-based recommendations to address some of the most impacting challenges faced by producers, such as mortalities caused by bacterial infections from Aeromonas hydrophila and Streptococcus agalactiae, reduced growth associated with oxidative stress, economic losses due to poor gut health and feed conversion, while avoiding the use of antimicrobial and chemical substances.

Otavio Serino Castro, Phileo’s aquaculture global species manager, explains: “We designed Program AquaSaf Tilapia to provide a clear view on the mechanisms of action of our solutions and their benefits on immunity, microbiota and performance in different production conditions. It is a tool to support and empower professionals when developing preventive care strategies for a more sustainable tilapia production".

The programme details how Safmannan, Phileo’s yeast postbiotic, can reduce pathogens-related mortalities by up to 50 percent, and how substantial improvements of feed conversion, growth and fillet yield can be achieved by exploring synergies with other Phileo key brands such as organic selenium-enriched yeast Selsaf, or yeast probiotic Actisaf.

Tilapia is farmed in many subtropical regions, such as China, Egypt, and Brazil where production is hindered by seasonal diseases, hence specific actions throughout the production cycle are needed.

Alban Caratis, Phileo’s aquaculture global program manager, highlights that in some areas the issues are likely to grow in complexity due to the continued development and intensification of production, water scarcity, the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens and climate change.

“With the AquaSaf Tilapia program, we aim to demonstrate that our solutions and sustainable practices can deliver improved performances, better profitability and increased animal welfare, whether they are adopted by global tilapia industry players or family farmers. That is part of our vision to act with nature for animal care,” he adds.

Phileo has also created a comprehensive manual for tilapia farmers and feed producers detailing guidelines and recent trial results demonstrating the applicability of yeast probiotics and postbiotics for the tilapia industry. Download your copy here.