Onda, a leading contract research organization in aquatic animal health, in collaboration with Citribel, a Belgian citric acid & mycelium producer, announces breakthrough findings demonstrating that Aspergillus niger mycelium-derived β-glucan (Mycofence®) enhances disease resistance in Atlantic salmon. The study by Dr. Fabio Zanuzzo and his team, compared the efficacy of Mycofence® against commercial yeast β-glucan in combating ulcerative diseases caused by Tenacibaculum maritimum and Moritella viscosa.

Study Design:

The study involved feeding Atlantic salmon with diets containing different levels of Mycofence® and commercial yeast β-glucan. Following a five-week feeding phase, the fish underwent an immersion challenge with T. maritimum or M. viscosa. Growth performance, mortality rates, lesion scores, hematology, and immune markers were meticulously analyzed.

Key Findings:

Higher Survival Rates:

Salmon fed with Mycofence® had a significantly higher survival rate compared to the control, while the fish fed with the commercial glucan derived from yeast had no difference from the control.

Enhanced Immune Response:

Mycofence® led to a marked up-regulation of the cr3 transcript expression, crucial for immune response and β-glucan recognition, providing insights into the mechanisms driving enhanced disease resistance.

Results:

Mortality Reduction:

Mycofence® reduced the risk of death from a T. maritimum infection by 42.6% compared to control group. As well, Mycofence® at 0.3% reduced the risk of death from M. viscosa outbreak by 31% compared to the control group. Mycofence® had a higher performance compared to commercial yeast β-glucan.

No Growth Performance Impact:

There were no significant differences in weight and growth performance between the diet groups.

Conclusion:

Dr. Zanuzzo concluded, “Our research clearly demonstrates that Mycofence®, a novel β-glucan derived from Aspergillus niger, significantly improves the immune response and survival rates of Atlantic salmon during ulcerative disease outbreaks. These findings provide a promising alternative to commercial yeast β-glucan and can greatly benefit aquaculture practices.”

Onda and Citribel are committed to advancing aquaculture health and sustainability through innovative research and development.