An overview of the immunomodulatory effects exerted by probiotics and prebiotics in grouper fish

While health benefits imparted by probiotics and prebiotics in various finfish have been extensively researched over the past few decades, little emphasis has been given to its role in immunomodulation in grouper fish health. From this billion-dollar aquaculture industry, the production of an estimated 100,000 tons per annum of grouper fish is required to fulfill the needs of the global market by 2020. Thus, this huge demand has resulted in a rapid rise of grouper fish farms, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. Unfortunately, grouper farming is often blighted by viral and bacterial diseases, which consequently devastate yields, resulting in economic losses. This review provides an overview of the functional role of probiotics and prebiotics, with specific emphasis on their immunomodulatory effects toward the advancement of grouper fish farming as one of the rising aquaculture commodities in the near future. Types of grouper-related diseases, probiotic strains, prebiotic types, dietary manipulations, immunological functions, and immunomodulatory mechanisms are reviewed and discussed in this article.