Recent advances in the role of probiotics and prebiotics in carp aquaculture: A review

The demand for cultured carp species has grown tremendously during the last decade due to their high market value. Recently, intensive aquaculture system has been expanding and is emerging as one of the most practical and promising tools to meet the requirements of carp. However, in intensive fish farming, animals are subjected to stress conditions that weaken fish immune systems, leading to increased susceptibility to diseases. These diseases have resulted in production losses and remain as one of the major causes of concern for carp farmers. Recently, one of the major limiting factors in intensive fish culture is the use of dietary supplements probiotics and prebiotics. These natural ingredients enhance the immune response of fish, confer tolerance against different stressors and minimize the risk associated with the use of chemical products such as: vaccines, antibiotics and chemotherapeutics. The present review summarizes and discusses the results of probiotic and prebiotic administration on growth performance, gut physiology, intestinal microbiota, immune response and health status of different carp species. Furthermore, this study tries to cover the gaps in existing knowledge and suggest issues that merit further investigations. •Cyprinids are widely distributed worldwide having a high impact in aquaculture.•Probiotics and prebiotics used as supplements to improve carp growth•Probiotics and prebiotics activated the innate immunity of carp culture species.•Moreover, probiotics and prebiotics enhanced the tolerance of carp against the diseases.•Probiotics can be applied singly or in combination with prebiotics for carps.