Abstract
An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of different dietary probiotic supplements in juvenile whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. A basal control diet without probiotics (CON), and five other diets by supplementing Bacillus subtilis at 107 CFU/g diet (BS7), B. subtilis (BS8), Pediococcus pentosaceus (PP8), and Lactococcus lactis (LL8) at 108 CFU/g diet, and oxytetracycline (OTC) at 4 g/kg diet were used. Whiteleg shrimp with initial body weights of 1.41 ± 0.05 g (mean ± SD) were fed with these diets. Growth of shrimp fed BS8 and LL8 diets was significantly higher than those of shrimp fed the CON diet (p < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase activity in shrimp fed PP8 and LL8 diets was significantly higher than that of shrimp fed the CON diet (p < 0.05). Lysozyme activity of shrimp fed probiotics and OTC diets significantly improved compared to those on the CON diet (p < 0.05). The intestinal histology showed healthier guts for shrimp fed the probiotic diets (p < 0.05). Immune-related gene expression in shrimp fed BS8, PP8 and LL8 diets was recorded as significantly higher than that of shrimp fed CON and OTC diets (p < 0.05). Also, results of the challenge test for 7 days and the digestive enzyme activity of shrimp fed BS8, PP8, and LL8 were significantly improved compared to those on the CON diet (p < 0.05). Therefore, these results indicated that L. lactis at 108 CFU/g could be an ideal probiotic for whiteleg shrimp, and also B. subtilis WB60 and P. pentosaceus at 108 CFU/g could improve the growth, immunity, histology, gene expression, digestive enzyme activity, and disease resistance, while replacing antibiotics.
Highlights
The whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, is a commercially important shrimp species which accounts for 80% of global shrimp production
Probiotic supplementation can improve the digestion of protein, starch, and fat in whiteleg shrimp compared to the control diet without probiotics (CON) diet, as a result of the increased value of enzyme activity [15]
The muscular layer thickness of whiteleg shrimp fed probiotic diets was significantly higher in the mid-intestine than those of shrimp fed CON and OTC diets (p < 0.05)
Summary
The whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, is a commercially important shrimp species which accounts for 80% of global shrimp production. The global production of whiteleg shrimp has increased rapidly and reached 445 million metric tons in 2017, with an estimated total value of 26.7 billion US dollars [1]. With the high market demand for whiteleg shrimp, it has been cultured intensively, which has led to serious problems such as infectious disease outbreaks by parasites. Vibrio bacterium is the most frequent pathogen in shrimp farming, which has a serious impact on survival, immune responses, and production losses [2]. The emergence of infectious pathogen diseases in shrimp farming causes the abuse or misuse of antibiotic agents [3,4]. The use of antibiotics in shrimp aquaculture has drawn attention from a public health point of view because of the potential risks and issues for human consumers [6]. Studies on possible replacements for antibiotics in shrimp aquaculture are required
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