The Role of Zinc Microelement in Aquaculture: a Review

Trace elements are required in optimum regimes for improving the productivity and wellbeing of aquatic animals. Zinc is one of the main microelements involved in several functions in the animal's body. Zinc potentiates the metabolism function, synthesis of essential enzymes, and the formation of hormones associated with growth, reproduction, immunity, and antioxidative roles in aquatic animals. Several sources of zinc are regularly applied in aquaculture, including inorganic, organic, and nanoparticles. Many studies examined the effects of zinc supplementation in the diets of aquatic animals. The results indicated that zinc could be included in aquafeed in a dose-dependent manner. The effects of zinc depend on the dose, source, duration of feeding, animals' sizes, and experimental conditions. This article comprehensively discusses the results of relevant studies that investigated the effects of zinc on the performances of aquatic animals. The review also intended to update the academia with the previous and current status of using zinc in aquafeed. Furthermore, the article includes up-to-date outputs of relevant studies of using different zinc sources in aquafeed.