Nutrigenomics in Aquaculture

Introduction “First, it was smart drugs, now it is smart food; eat right for your genotype and feed right for their genotype” Scientific technologies are playing a pivotal role in growing aquaculture industries. Innovation and approach of advanced technology in aquaculture play a major role in getting optimum production from any type of aquaculture farming. Basic understanding of growth process is required for making any scientific strategy for enhancing aquaculture production. Nutrient is very relevant environmental factor. Nutritional science has long tradition for recommending specific diets to the farmed fishes for getting more production. Nutrigenomics is the application of high throughput genomics tool in nutritional research. Nutrigenomics is the study of “how foods affect genes and how individual differences in genetic makeup affect the ways in which animals respond to nutrients with regard to health”. The concept that diet influences health is an ancient one. Nutrigenomics includes known interactions between food and inherited genes, called inborn errors of metabolism, that have long been treated by manipulating the diet. Nutrition is very relevant environmental factor that exerts its effect on the genetic background impairing or improving the likelihood to develop disease. Functional components (Immunostimulants, antioxidants, pre- & probiotics) are being considered in fish nutrition aiming to improve fish growth &/or feed efficiency, stress tolerance and disease resistance. One of the main challenges with the intensification of the farming operations is economic losses primarily due to infectious diseases. Preventive measures are deemed to be sustainable and Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) has identified research areas viz: