
The need to find natural products to enhance fish welfare and production efficiency have led to the study of dietary hemp inclusion into fish diet to reduce stress and improve fish immune status since it presents many medicinal properties. There are few studies in fish that suggest that the use of CBD decreases the expression of pro-inflammatory factors, promotes the antioxidant capacity and growth performance and reduces aggressiveness and cortisol levels. However, the effect of hemp dietary inclusion on the chronic and acute stress response in species of interest in aquaculture, such as gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), as well as the mechanism by which CBD exerts its anti-inflammatory effects remains unclear.
For that purpose, the pre doctoral student Sara Cartan from the University of Cádiz has been visiting the Institute of Aquaculture to work with Dra. Mónica Betancor from January 2025 through the AQUAEXCEL transnational access project “RESIBREAM” to study the inclusion of Cannabis sativa into the diet to ameliorate gilthead seabream welfare and assess its effect after a chronic and an acute stress challenge.
Further information about Sara’s research group can be found on Instagram @FishUCA