Effect of dietary supplementation of probiotic and vitamin C on the immune response of Indian major carp, Labeo rohita (Ham.)

• Published in: Fish & Shellfish Immunology 2007-10, Vol.23 (4), p.892-896
• Main Authors: Nayak, S.K., Swain, P., Mukherjee, S.C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Ascorbic Acid - pharmacology; Ascorbyl polyphosphate; Bacillus subtilis; Bacillus subtilis - immunology; Bacterial Proteins - immunology; Bacterial Vaccines - immunology; Blood Proteins - analysis; Carps - immunology; Dietary Supplements; Edwardsiella tarda - chemistry; Edwardsiella tarda - immunology; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - immunology; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - mortality; Enterobacteriaceae Infections - veterinary; Fish Diseases - immunology; Fish Diseases - microbiology; Fish Diseases - mortality; Freshwater; Labeo rohita; Neutrophils - drug effects; Probiotics; Probiotics - administration & dosage; Respiratory Burst - drug effects; Rohu ( Labeo rohita Ham.); Time Factors; Vitamin C
• ISSN: 1050-4648; 1095-9947; 1365-2567
• DOI: 10.1016/j.fsi.2007.02.008

The immunostimulatory effect of probiotics and vitamin C has been established in many systems including fish. An investigation was carried out to study the effect of dietary supplementation of a probiotic bacterium “ Bacillus subtilis”, vitamin C in the form of ascorbyl polyphosphate and their combination on the immune response of Indian major carp, rohu, ( Labeo rohita Ham.) fingerlings fed for a period of 60 days. The total serum protein and globulin content was significantly higher ( p < 0.05) in probiotic ( B. subtilis @ 10 8 CFU/g of the feed) fed group while the respiratory burst activity of blood neutrophils was significantly high in vitamin C (ascorbyl polyphosphate @100 mg per kg diet) fed group. The antibody level was significantly high in Bacillus subtilis treated group followed by the probiotic ( B. subtilis @ 10 8 CFU/g of the feed) and ascorbyl polyphosphate (ascorbyl polyphosphate @100 mg per kg diet) combined group. The least percentage of mortality was recorded in B. subtilis treated group (25%) followed by 35 and 40% in ascorbyl polyphosphate treated and B. subtilis and ascorbyl polyphosphate combined groups, respectively.