To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that combines
the use of medicinal plants and probiotics in the gilthead
seabream diet. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the potential
modulatory effect of a diet supplemented with fenugreek
alone or combined with three probiotic strains, on growth performance,
several immune parameters and on the expression of
different immune-related genes in gilthead seabream (S. aurata L.),
one of the most extensively cultured marine fish species. The result
is an inexpensive combination of natural immunostimulants and
probiotics that enhances the growth rate and the defence mechanisms
of fish and renders them perhaps more resistant to diseases
and external aggressions.