Utilisation of processed hop for production of antiviral agents

Utilisation of processed hop as biogenic residue for production of novel, formulated antiviral agents for aquacultures

Aquaculture is the fastest growing sector for production of food of animal origin worldwide. At the same time the number of communicable diseases is rising. Viral pathogenic agents of epizootics, as e. g. Koi herpes virus, Tilapia virus and Rhabdoviruses affecting trouts, do not only lead to mass extinction of animals in breeding farms and therefore to great economical losses. Such viruses also threaten the global nutrition security, as they cannot be treated yet. Identification of antiviral substances is not the only challenge, but also avoiding toxic residues in treated fish. Such residues would exclude the use of the fish as food, what is especially to be feared for non-natural compounds. At this point our project starts.

Hop residues from brewing and hop industry shall be used as natural resources to isolate antiviral agents from different fish viruses. Biogenic materials from the food “hop” have a far lower potential for toxic residues in fish. According to “biorefinery concept” different feed additives will be produced from a single biomass, which can be applied to aquacultures. A further goal is to improve effectiveness of antiviral treatment by appropriate formulation (microencapsulation) significantly by increasing bioavailability of poorly water soluble substances as well as their stability. The aimed results contribute to sustainable changes of companies in economic sectors influenced in different degrees by KMUs. Within hop and brewing economy new business fields can be established on basis of unused residual currents. For food production companies and pond keeper businesses these aimed results can grant access to agents against fish viroses – worldwide without an alternative and with the possibility of avoiding high economical losses in aquacultures.