Medicinal uses of ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) improves growth and enhances immunity in aquaculture

The medicinal plants are of great use in pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural and food industry. The efficacy of some herbal products is beyond doubt, the most recent examples being Silybum marianum (Linn.) Gaertn (Silymarin), Artemisia annua Linn. (Artemesinin) and Taxus baccata Linn.(taxol). Randomized, controlled trials have proved the efficacy of some established remedies, for instance Zingiber officinale Roscoe, commonly known as ginger. Ginger contains natural organic materials beneficial to health and enhances resistance to infectious diseases by increasing non-specific and specific immune mechanisms. The rhizome of ginger has shown to be effective in the control of a range of bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic diseases in humans, poultry and aquaculture owing to its antimicrobial, antioxidant, growth promoter and as immunostimulant properties to health. Hence, this review focuses on the use of ginger as growth promoter, antimicrobial agent, and antioxidant and as immunostimulant in aquaculture.