Protective efficacy of Mucuna pruriens (L.) seed meal enriched diet on growth performance, innate immunity, and disease resistance in Oreochromis mossambicus against Aeromonas hydrophila.

The impact of Mucuna pruriens (L.) seed meal diet on growth performance, innate immune response, and disease resistance in Oreochromis mossambicus against Aeromonas hydrophila is reported for the first time. Infected O. mossambicus was fed with 2 g kg-1, 4 g kg-1, and 6 g kg-1 of M. pruriens seed meal diets significantly increased initial body weight (IBW) and final body weight (FBW) over control, for a period of 4 weeks. At 4 g kg-1 and 6 g kg-1 the enriched diet significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the survival rate, weight gain (WG), protein efficiency ratio (PER), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and feed efficiency (FE) when compared to the control; besides, from weeks 2-4 these diets significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the complement activity, phagocytic activity, respiratory burst activity, and lysosome activity. On being fed with 4 g kg-1 and 6 g kg-1-enriched diets the cumulative mortality was lower (10% and 12%) than with 2 g kg-1 diet (24%). The present investigation suggests that the enriched diet at 4 g kg-1 and 6 g kg-1 improved the growth performance more than that of the control and negative control; it also positively enhanced the innate immunity and disease resistance against A. hydrophilla in O. mossambicus. Hence M. pruriens can be used as a feed additive to stimulate immunity for effective production of economically valuable freshwater fish, O. mossambicus.

Effect of Cucurbita mixta (L.) seed meal enrichment diet on growth, immune response and disease resistance in Oreochromis mossambicus.

The impact of Cucurbita mixta (L.) seed meal enriched diet on growth performance, innate immune response, and disease resistance in Oreochromis mossambicus against Aeromonas hydrophila was investigated. O. mossambicus was fed with 2 g kg-1, 4 g kg-1, and 6 g kg-1 C. mixta seed meal diets for a period of 4 weeks. The results indicated that C. mixta seed meal diets at 4 g kg-1 and 6 g kg-1 significantly (P < 0.05) enhances the survival rate, weight gain (WG), protein efficiency ratio (PER), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR), and feed efficiency (FE) from weeks 1-4 when compared to control. C. mixta seed meals administered as feed supplements significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the complement activity, phagocytic activity, respiratory burst activity, and lysosome activity in infected fish fed with 4 g kg-1 and 6 g kg-1 of C. mixta seed meal enriched diet from weeks 2-4. The cumulative mortality was lower in the fish fed with 4 g kg-1 and 6 g kg-1 of C. mixta seed meal enriched diets (15% and 18%) than with 2 g kg-1 diet (26%). The present investigation suggested that C. mixta seed meal enriched diet at 4 g kg-1 and 6 g kg-1 enhance the better growth performance, innate immunity, and disease resistance against A. hydrophilla in O. mossambicus.

Effect of Shilajit enriched diet on immunity, antioxidants, and disease resistance in Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man) against Aeromonas hydrophila.

The effect of diet supplemented with Shilajit, a multi-component natural mineral substance on the antioxidant activity, immune response, and disease resistance in freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man) against Aeromonas hydrophila is reported. The total hemocyte count (THC) and phagocytic activity significantly increased with 2 g kg(-1) supplemented diet on first week and with other enriched diets on weeks 2 and 4. The respiratory burst (RB) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were significantly increased with 2 g kg(-1) supplemented diet on weeks 1 and 2 whereas 2 and 4 g kg(-1) diets on week 4. The phenoloxidase (PO) activity increased significantly with 2 g kg(-1) diet only on second week and with other enriched diets only on fourth week. The superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased significantly with any enriched diet during the experimental period except with 6 g kg(-1) diets on first week. However, the glutathione reductase (GR) activity was enhanced significantly only with 2 g kg(-1) enriched diets on weeks 2 and 4. The cumulative mortality of the prawn fed with 2 and 4 g kg(-1) enriched diets was 10% and 15% whereas with 6 g kg(-1) diet the mortality was 20%. The results suggest that diet enriched with Shilajit at 2 g kg(-1) or 4 g kg(-1) positively enhances the antioxidant activity, immunity, and disease resistance in M. rosenbergii against A. hydrophila.