Dietary probiotic supplementation in growth and health of live-bearing ornamental fishes

Abstract

Bacillus subtilis, a probiont isolated from the intestine of Cirrhinus mrigala (Hamilton), was incorporated in fish feed at four different concentrations (5 · 10 8 , 5 · 10 7 , 5 · 10 6 and 5 · 10 5 cells g )1 ) and fed to Poecilia reticulata (Peters), Poecilia sphenops (Valenciennes), Xiphophorus helleri (Heckel) and Xiphophorus maculatus (Gunther) for a period of 90 days. The growth parameters, proximate composition of whole body, digestive enzymes and gut microbiology were monitored at regular monthly intervals. The increments in length and weight and the survival were significantly higher (P < 0.05) and the values of food conversions were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in fishes fed the probiotic feeds. The administration of B. subtilis in diet resulted in an increase (P > 0.05) in body ash and protein content and in the specific activity of protease and amylase in the digestive tract of all the fishes. The counts of total heterotrophs, motile aeromonads, presumptive pseudomonads and total coliforms were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the gut of the probiotic fed fishes. Bacillus subtilis persisted in the fish intestine and in the feed in high numbers during the feeding period. The high survival and low infectivity recorded in the probiotic feed fed fishes when challenged by immersion assay with the pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila demonstrate that the probiotic strain confers disease resistance in live-bearing ornamental fishes. A probiotic concentration of 10 6 to 10 8 cells g )1 is adequate for improved growth performance and survival and for healthy gut microenvironment and use of higher concentration of the probiont did not always lead to significantly better results. KEY WORDS

Bacteria with Probiotic Capabilities Isolated from the Digestive Tract of the Ornamental Fish Pterophyllum scalare

“…According to the results obtained in the growth of fish fed with the probiotic bacteria isolated in this study, we observed that the use of food fish was higher in treatments in which they contain added probiotic strains, especially with Bs3 strain in which the fish were much higher growth in total length, weight and width (with almost 50% increase compared to the control group and the combination of probiotic strains). These results agree with the study by Ghosh et al, (2008), which reported significant differences in the growth of ornamental fish species Poecilia reticulata, Poecilia sphenops, Xiphophorus maculatus and Xiphophorus hellieri, after being fed with feed enriched Bacillus sp for a period of 60 days, compared with a control treatment without probiotic.…”

Analysis of Enzyme Activities of the Gut Bacterial Communities in Labeo rohita fed Differentially Treated Animal Fleshing Diets

“…containing probiotics in common carp [46]. B. subtilis in four livebearing ornamental fishes [47]. Lactobacillus spp.…”

Effect of Enriched Artemia parthenogenetica with Probiotic (Bacillus spp.) on Growth, Survival, Fecal Production and Nitrogenous Excretion in Rainbow Trout(Oncorhynchus mykiss) Larvae

“…The advantages of using probiotics in fish aquaculture were recently reviewed by Nayak [19] and Qi et al [20]. The main beneficial effects of probiotic use in fish aquaculture are growth performance improvement [21,22] and disease control through immunity enhancement [19,20,23] and pathogens exclusion [20]. The bacteria could also have improved digestive activity via synthesis of vitamins and cofactors or via enzymatic improvement [4].…”