Promoting Aquatic Animal Health and Water Quality: A Systematic Review on Probiotics, Prebiotics and Synbiotics in Aquaculture

Background: Aquaculture, a vital component of global food security, faces sustainability challenges due to intensive farming practices, including water pollution, disease outbreaks, and antibiotic overuse. Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics have emerged as eco-friendly alternatives to antibiotics. However, research results remain heterogeneous across aquatic species and intervention strategies. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020, we searched two databases (up to January 2026) for in vivo trials. Two reviewers screened and extracted data, and 177 eligible studies were ultimately included, covering single-/multi-strain probiotics (SSP/MSP), live/inactivated microbial preparations, and diverse synbiotic formulations. Results: Among 177 studies, Bacillus spp. were the most widely reported and effective probiotic strains. MSP and synbiotics exhibited superior efficacy in boosting aquatic animal growth performance and disease resistance over SSP in 68% of the included trials. Probiotics act through the competitive exclusion of pathogens, immune modulation, and enhanced digestive enzyme activity; prebiotics selectively stimulate beneficial gut microbiota, improving nutrient absorption and immune function through metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids; synbiotics combine the advantages of both, exerting synergistic effects. Furthermore, as water additives or fermented feed ingredients, probiotics reduce nitrogenous waste and organic pollutants, contributing to bioremediation. Conclusions: All three additives are effective. Standardized application protocols and long-term trials are needed for sustainable aquaculture. This review provides a unified evidence-based foundation for the rational use of these additives in aquaculture.