Hemanth Giri Rao Vantharam Venkata1, Sinduja Ramanan1, Sri Sailaja Nori1, Shrikumar Suryanarayan1
1Sea6 Energy Pvt Ltd, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India – 560065
Intensive cultivation of animals reared for human consumption makes them susceptible to stresses arising from overcrowding, heat, ammonia accumulation and diseases. We have specifically identified and extracted novel biologically active compounds known as sulfated Galacto-oligosaccharides (sGOS) from red seaweeds. We administered them to commercially cultivated species of shrimp, fish, poultry and livestock to understand their effect on increasing productivity, tolerance to environmental stresses, as well as resistance to diseases in both lab and field conditions. We find that inclusion of sGOS in the diet increases the survival of shrimp by at least 10%, and their resistance to diseases such as Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS), Vibrio infection, and White Spot Syndrome (WSSV) by at least 15%. The increased survival arises due to the immune stimulating activity of sGOS wherein it can specifically upregulate genes associated with anti-pathogen defense mechanisms. The increased survival also correlates well with increased yields for the farmer under field conditions. Benefits were observed in commercial broilers where the sGOS improved weight gain and the average daily growth rate, resulting in lower FCR, while concomitantly improving the immunity and antioxidant status of the birds. In cattle, inclusion of the sGOS in their diet increased nutrient absorption and led to an increase in the fat content in the milk. Our results indicate that red seaweed derived sustainable feed additive rich in sGOS stimulates the immune systems of these animals to sustain the stresses of intensive cultivation, while also facilitating increased nutrient absorption for higher productivity.