Phage Therapy in Aquaculture: Applications, Efficacy and Challenges

Abstract

Aquaculture and fisheries have emerged as some of the fastest-growing food sectors in recent years. However, the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in aquaculture and fisheries has led to the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. In this context, phage therapy offers an alternative, sustainable, and environmentally friendly solution for controlling pathogens that cause significant economic losses in aquaculture. Over recent years, the application of phage therapy in aquaculture has gained increasing attention. Phage therapy has shown promising results in controlling pathogens such as Vibrio, Aeromonas, and Flavobacterium. This method effectively improves fish health, reduces antibiotic usage, and preserves microbial balance due to the specificity of phages. Despite its potential, several challenges affect the efficacy and success of phage therapy. These challenges include the sensitivity of phages to environmental factors, the potential of bacteria to develop resistance against phages, difficulties in developing effective phage formulations, and scientific gaps in phage therapy research. To address these issues, biotechnological and nanotechnological methods have been employed to enhance the effectiveness of phages and increase their resilience to environmental factors. Innovative technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 enhance the specificity of phages toward target pathogens while supporting microbial balance. Additionally, microencapsulation techniques strengthen phage stability, enabling more efficient application. However, for the large-scale implementation of phage therapy, clear regulatory frameworks and economic sustainability are required. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of the applications and efficacy of phages, advanced techniques used in their formulation, challenges encountered in phage therapy, and existing scientific gaps in the field of aquaculture. The insights gained from this study are expected to contribute significantly to the expansion of phage therapy applications in aquaculture, raise awareness about reducing antibiotic use, and support sustainable production practices.

Keywords

• Aquaculture
• bacteriophages
• antibiotics
• resistance

Kültür Balıkçılığında Faj Terapisi Uygulamaları ve Karşılaşılan Zorluklar

Abstract

Kültür balıkçılığı ve su ürünleri yetiştiriciliği son yıllarda en hızlı büyüyen gıda sektörlerinden biridir. Ancak, kültür balıkçılığı ve su ürünleri yetiştiriciliğinde antibiyotiklerin bilinçsiz kullanımı, antibiyotik direncinin gelişimine ve yayılmasına neden olmaktadır. Bu bağlamda, faj terapisi kültür balıkçılığında ekonomik kayıplara yol açan patojenlerin kontrol altına alınmasında alternatif, sürdürülebilir ve çevre dostu bir çözüm sunmaktadır. Kültür balıkçılığında faj terapisi uygulamaları, son yıllarda giderek yaygınlaşmaktadır. Faj terapisi, Vibrio, Aeromonas ve Flavobacterium gibi patojenlerin kontrol altına alınmasında umut vadeden sonuçlar göstermiştir. Bu yöntem, balık sağlığının iyileştirilmesi, antibiyotik kullanımının azaltılması ve fajların özgüllüğü sayesinde mikrobiyal dengenin korunması açısından etkili olabilmektedir. Ancak, fajların çevresel faktörlere duyarlılığı, bakterilerin fajlara direnç geliştirme potansiyeli, etkin faj formülasyonlarının oluşturulmasındaki güçlükler ve faj terapisindeki bilimsel eksiklikler, bu yöntemin etkinliği ve başarısını etkileyen önemli zorluklardır. Bu çözüm bekleyen konulardan, fajların etkinliğini artırılması ve çevresel faktörlere karşı dayanıklılığının sağlaması amacıyla biyoteknolojik ve nanoteknolojik yöntemlerden yararlanılmaktadır. CRISPR-Cas9 gibi yenilikçi teknolojiler, fajların hedef patojenlere olan spesifikliğini artırarak mikrobiyal dengeyi desteklemekte, mikroenkapsülasyon yöntemleri ise fajların stabilitesini güçlendirmektedir. Bununla birlikte, faj terapisinin geniş ölçekte uygulanabilirliğini sağlamak için yasal düzenlemelerin oluşturulması ve ekonomik sürdürülebilirliğin sağlanması gereklidir. Bu çalışmada, kültür balıkçılığında hastalıkların kontrol altına alınmasında ve çevre dostu, sürdürülebilir üretim uygulamalarında önemli potansiyele sahip olan fajların uygulamaları, etkinlikleri, formülasyonlarında kullanılan ileri düzey teknikler, faj terapisinde karşılaşılan zorluklar ve bilimsel eksiklikler ayrıntılı bir şekilde değerlendirilmiştir. Elde edilen bilgilerin, kültür balıkçılığında faj terapisi uygulamalarının artmasına, bu alanda farkındalık yaratarak antibiyotik kullanımının azalmasına ve sürdürülebilir üretimin sağlanmasına önemli katkılar sağlayacağı düşünülmektedir.

Keywords

• Kültür balıkçılığı
• bakteriyofaj
• antibiyotik
• direnç

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