Abstract
Functional foods and nutraceuticals have gained attention as a result of the emergence of several human health disorders, including abdominal, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegeneration. The components of functional foods influence the physiological system, which enhances human health and fights against illness. The global consumption of fish and fish products has increased in recent years, driven by the presence of omega-3 fatty acids, oligosaccharides, glucosamine, vitamins A, D, and E, as well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium, copper, sulfur, zinc, iodine, and proteins. It is widely acknowledged that functional food ingredients are important for promoting health, lowering the risk of disease, and lowering medical expenses. Fish farming has emerged as a source of novel functional ingredients from marine resources for functional food as well as for therapeutics. The review paper will also cover various technological approaches such as CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene editing, zinc finger nucleases, and TALENs for enhanced production of bioactive compounds from genetically modified fishes for commercial production of functional food as well as nutraceuticals.
Introduction
Functional foods contain biologically active compounds or ingredients that provide health benefits beyond their nutritional content [1-2]. Functional foods are very effective, non-toxic, and help reduce the risk of infectious and chronic illnesses [3]. They reflect the traditional knowledge of communities that continue to use regional foods and traditional medicine [4]. Nutraceuticals have been shown to significantly reduce oxidative stress and enhance the antioxidant defense system in stressed individuals [5-7]. The increasing awareness among consumers about the nutritional value of food has encouraged the trend toward functional foods that offer medicinal benefits beyond basic nutrition [8]. Population growth has had a significant impact on food and therapeutic use, increasing the demand for food, which may lead to food insecurity, undernourishment, premature mortality, and susceptibility to chronic and infectious diseases. Environmental degradation further threatens food production and livestock. To address this challenge, alternative food resources that ensure sustainable food security and provide bioactive compounds with therapeutic applications, such as functional foods and nutraceuticals, are essential.
Aquafarming, also known as mariculture or aquaculture, is a large-scale production technology for aquatic organisms in controlled environments. It is used for seafood production, habitat restoration, and conservation breeding, involving organisms like algae, shellfish, and other marine organisms. Aquatic resources such as shellfish, marine pearls, seaweed, crustaceans, and molluscs serve as potential food sources. Fish farming, or pisciculture, is the most common form of aquafarming worldwide and could be a major sustainable food resource for the growing population. Fish farming provides nutritious food for a growing population, employment in rural areas, and additional income for farmers.
Fish and fish byproducts are rich sources of nutrients and proteins and have lower carbohydrate, cholesterol, purine, and saturated fatty acid content than other meats. Fish contains various bioactive compounds, including lipids, vitamins, and minerals, that have therapeutic effects, helping to prevent and manage conditions like cardiovascular disease, mental illness, hypertension, low birth weight, coronary diseases, eye diseases, dementia, and asthma.
Many fish species are used as food resources, including salmon, tuna, sardines, mahi-mahi, anchovy, herring, lingcod, moi, and orange roughy. Although these fishes contain bioactive compounds in lower concentrations, they hold potential pharmacological applications for acute and chronic diseases. Researchers are working on developing genetically modified fish using advanced recombinant technologies such as CRISPR-Cas9 mediated gene editing, zinc finger nuclease, and TALENs to increase therapeutic compound concentrations. This review aims to provide insights into fish as sustainable food resources, recombinant technologies for enhancing therapeutic production, and the challenges of genetically modified fish production
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Technological approaches for commercial production of functional food through fish farming: Opportunities and challenges
Singh P., Kasaudhan J., Tripathi M., Gupta M. K., Mondal S. Technological approaches for commercial production of functional food through fish farming: Opportunities and challenges. Functional Food Science 2025; 5(2): 46-56.
https://www.doi.org/10.31989/ffs.v5i2.1551
