Use of probiotics Bacillus coagulans, Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Lactobacillus acidophilus as growth promoters in grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella) fingerlings

Abstract

The present research evaluated the effects of three probiotics on the growth performance and intestinal digestive enzyme activity in fingerlings of grass carp, Ctenopharyngodon idella. Three treatments (T-1, T-2 and T-3) were fed with diets containing different viable bacteria with a final concentration 106 CFU g−1 feed (Bacillus coagulans, Rhodopseudomonas palustris and Lactobacillus acidophilus, respectively) and the control was fed with basal diet without probiotics. All the diets supplemented with probiotics resulted in better (P 0.05) in protease and cellulase activities compared with the control. The protease activity was higher in the foreintestine than in the hindintestine (P < 0.05), and the reverse was observed in cellulase activity. As for amylase activity, there was no difference between foreintestine and hindintestine. In conclusion, the three selected probiotics increased the growth performance of grass carp fingerlings. Furthermore, different digestive enzyme activity was observed in different intestine segment.