Formulation of Ascorbic Acid and Skim Milk in Feed for Salinity Stress in Artemia sp.

Abstract

Artemia sp. is recognized for its abundant and comprehensive nutritional profile, yet it lacks the inherent ability to produce vital elements such as vitamins, Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA), and Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA), necessitating their acquisition from external sources. To augment the nutritional quality of Artemia sp., enrichment becomes imperative. This research aimed to evaluate the toxicity of ascorbic acid when used as a feed for Artemia sp. and investigate the influence of ascorbic acid enrichment and the addition of skim milk to the feed on Artemia sp.'s response to salinity stress. The study employed a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The toxicity assessment of ascorbic acid utilized the Brine Shrimp Lethality Test (BSLT) method, yielding an LC50 value of 200.84 (> 1000 ppm), indicating toxicity to Artemia sp. Salinity stress resistance exhibited variability across treatments, with the longest survival times observed sequentially in Artemia sp. subjected to AS treatment 3 (20 hours), AS 2, and the control (16 hours), SM, AS 3, and C 1 (12 hours), and C 2 (8 hours). The enrichment of Artemia sp. feed with ascorbic acid and skim milk significantly influenced (sig. = 0.002) its resistance to salinity stress, with the optimal formulation identified at 200 ppm of ascorbic acid.