Influence of Probiotics on Survival, Growth, Biochemical Changes and Energy Utilization Performance of Macrobrachium rosenbergii Post-larvae

Abstract

A 90 days feeding trial was carried out to determine the effects of the combined probiotics Bacillus subtilis (BS) and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) on the survival, growth, biochemical changes and energy utilization performance of the freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii post larvae (PL). The probiotics, BS (3) and SC (4) were taken and mixed, as 1, 2, 3 and 4 % of BS + SC (3:4) was incorporated with basal diet. Diet without probiotics served as control. PL-30 of M. rosenbergii was fed with BS + SC (3:4) incorporated diet for a period of 90 days in triplicates. After the feeding experiment, the growth parameters such as survival, weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion efficiency and protein efficiency rate were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in 3 % BS + SC incorporated diet fed PL group. Similarly, the biochemical composition of the total protein, amino acid, carbohydrate, lipid and ash content were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in 3 % BS + SC incorporated diet fed PL group. The energy utilization parameters, such as feeding rate, absorption rate, conversion rate, NH3 excretory rate and metabolic rate were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in 3 % BS + SC incorporated diet fed PL group. However, BS + SC incorporated diet fed PLs produced better growth performance.