EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT LEVELS OF CAPRYLIC ACID IN FEEDS FOR SEA BREAM Spams aurata L.; PRELIMINARY RESULTS ON TISSUE CONCENTRATION

摘要

The intensification of fish farming in the Mediterranean area poses risks related to fish health due to parasitic, viral and bacterial diseases. Since the use of therapeutic chemicals to combat the outbreaks has raised concerns related to fish, environmental and consumer welfare the discovery of effective alternative preventive and therapeutic measures is of great importance especially if they could be delivered to fish via the diet. Caprylic acid has demonstrated antiparasitic effect against monogenean parasites in fish like red sea bream and tiger puffer. The way of its action is however unexplored and has never been evaluated as antiparasitic against pathogens affecting Meditarranean farmed fish. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to determine which concentration of C8 induces the highest serum, gills and skin levels in gilthead sea bream a species suffering from monogenean infections at an annual basis.