Contract research organization Onda, in collaboration with Citribel, a Belgian citric acid & mycelium producer, unveiled breakthrough findings demonstrating that Aspergillus niger mycelium-derived β-glucan (Mycofence®) enhances disease resistance in Atlantic salmon. The study by 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.

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

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.

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.

Mycofence® reduced the risk of death from a T. maritimum infection by 42.6% compared to the 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.

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

"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,” Zanuzzo concluded.