Abstract

Sustainably farmed Atlantic salmon could drive global food system solutions by contributing essential nutrients to the human diet while delivering high-quality protein. One of the biggest obstacles to sustainable salmon aquaculture in Chile is the prevalence of piscirickettsiosis disease caused by the Gram-negative bacteria Piscirickettsia salmonis and the excessive amount of antibiotics used to eradicate this disease. Farmed salmon products can be consumed without prior processing and therefore present a substantial risk for the transfer of resistant pathogens to humans. Antibiotics also carry the risk of antibiotic residues and damage to the environment. An alternative to antibiotics is the use of natural antimicrobials without the negative influence on the consumer's microbiome. Here, we evaluate the potential antimicrobial activity against P. salmonis of the marine microalgae Microchloropsis gaditana. A non-genetically modified M. gaditana was grown with nitrogen deprivation to improve the synthesis of the eicosapentaenoic fatty acid (EPA). A spray-dried M. gaditana concentrate (Mg) was elaborated and given to Atlantic salmon for a period of 49 days, and serum and fillet samples were collected. Our results showed a significant increase in the nutritional quality improving the levels of EPA+ Docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) (23%) and Vitamin D3 (106%) of the fillets treated with Mg. Fish fed serum were challenged with P. salmonis, and serum antibacterial activity was measured. Sera from fish fed Mg-enriched diets showed a significant increase in antibacterial activity (85.68%) against P. salmonis. Our results indicate that Mg can be used as a viable alternative to address the critical problem of microbial resistance and to assure consumers that farm-raised Atlantic salmon is safe.