Effect of feeding Lactobacillus-based probiotics on
the gut microflora, growth and survival of postlarvae of Macrobrachium
rosenbergii (de Man)
H.K.
Venkat, N.P. Sahu, K.K. Jain-2004
Aquaculture Research, 35(5): 501-507
Abstract:
The
present study was conducted to study probiotics treatment in the post-larval
diet of Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Three hundred postlarvae (average
weight, 114-118 mg±0.11) were divided in five experimental groups each
with four replicates. The experiment was conducted for 60 days. Experimental
diets were identical in all the aspects except for variation in the
probiotics strain. T1 and T2 groups were fed Lactobacillus acidophilus
(140 x 1011 CFU 100 g-1)
and L. sporogenes (24 x 107 CFU 100 g-1)
respectively. The T3 group was fed L. sporogenes bioencapsulated in Artemia
nauplii. T4 was the control group (without probiotic) whereas T5 was fed Artemia
along with control diet. The bacteriological study indicated that the gut
microflora of postlarvae are devoid of lactic acid bacteria. The probiotic
strains were found to have inhibitory effects against the gram-negative
bacterial flora present in the gut. Growth of the probiotic fed groups was
significantly higher (P<0.05) than the control group.
Significantly higher growth (P<0.05), per cent weight gain
(132.5%), specific growth rate (1.41%), feed efficiency ratio (FER) (0.45),
protein efficiency ratio (1.29) and protein gain (161.6%) were recorded in
T3 group fed Artemia bioencapsulated L. sporogenes over the
control group (P<0.05). Although insignificant (P>0.05),
growth-promoting effects of L. sporogenes were found to be higher
than L. acidophillus. Survival of the postlarvae was not affected by
probiotics in the diet.
(Fish
Nutrition Division, Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Versova,
Mumbai 400 061, India. E-mail of N.P. Sahu: npsahu1@rediffmail.com)