Bui ThiBichHang^a, Nguyen Le Anh Dao^{a, d}, Truong QuynhNhu^{a, e}, Le ThiBach^b, Tran Minh Phu^a, Bui ThiBuuHue^b, Do Thi Thanh Huong^a, Nguyen Thanh Phuong^a, Joelle Quetin-Leclercq^c, Marie-Louise Scippo^d and Patrick Kestemont^e
a College of Aquaculture and Fisheries, Can Tho University, Vietnam
^b College of Narural Sciences, Can Tho University, Vietnam
^cLouvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
^dLaboratory of Food Analysis, FARAH - Veterinary Public Health, University of Liège, Belgium
^e  Research Unit in Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, University of Namur, Belgium

Vietnam has become one of the top market word producersin aquaculture with extraordinary growth rates in recent years. In addition, the sector contributed to about 4% of Vietnam national GDP. However, Vietnamese aquaculture is coping with many problems, of which disease outbreaks are among the most important concerns. Chemicals or antibiotics are applied quite extensively to control pathogens, sometimes under improper management. The application of these chemicals brings a lot of disadvantages such as their bioconcentration in cultivated organisms, human carryover, pollution, development of antibiotic resistant bacteria, destabilization of helpful bacterial populations in environment and immunosuppression in fish. Nowadays, more environmental-friendly prophylactic and preventive solutions are required and natural bio-active products are searched to enhance the immune system, health status and disease resistance of cultivated animals.

In this project, chemical and biological technologies will help to develop effective methods for extraction, characterization, bioactivity evaluation and formulation of high-value natural derived materials for aquaculture production at affordable prices for farmers.The specific objective being to provide to key stakeholders a list of useful plant extracts with related recommendations as a feasible alternative to the overuse of chemicals in Vietnamese aquaculture. The fish species on which the compounds will be tested have been selected in order to cover two complementary fish markets of importance for Vietnam: the snakehead as a model species for the local market, and the striped catfish “pangasius” as the main exported fish.

Currently, a series of 20 medicinal plants (Phyllanthusamarus, Eurphorbiahirta, Piper betle, Ecliptaprostrata, Mimosa pudica,…)from Viet Nam is selected and extracted for evaluating their potential byin vitro laboratory tests including antioxidant activity, antimicrobial efficiency and immune response of fish leukocyte. Based on results of in vitro tests, 3 plants will be selected for further in vivo and farm trial validation as well as chemical characterization.