Dietary γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Promotes Growth and Resistance to Vibrio alginolyticus in Whiteleg Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

Abstract

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on growth performance, immune response, and disease resistance for juvenile whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. Five isonitrogenous diets were formulated by supplementing 0 (CON), 50 (GABA50), 100 (GABA100), and 300 (GABA300) mg of GABA and 4 g of oxytetracycline (OTC) per kilogram of diet. A total of 225 juvenile whiteleg shrimp with an initial weight of 2.97 ± 0.06 g were randomly distributed and reared in 15 aquaria as triplicates. After 8 weeks of the feeding trial, weight gain, specific growth rate, feed efficiency, and protein efficiency ratio of shrimp fed GABA100 were significantly higher than those of shrimp fed CON, GABA50, and GABA300 diets ( P < 0.05 ). However, there were no significant differences among shrimp fed CON, GABA50, GABA300, and OTC diets ( P > 0.05 ). After nine days of challenge test with Vibrio alginolyticus, the average cumulative survival rate of shrimp fed GABA50, GABA100, and OTC was significantly higher than that of shrimp fed GABA300 and CON diets ( P < 0.05 ). These results may suggest that 100 mg dietary GABA supplementation (including endogenous GABA, 175.6 mg/kg diet) per kilogram of diet could be the optimum dietary level to replace antibiotics and improve growth performance and disease resistance in whiteleg shrimp L. vannamei.

Interactive Effect of Dietary Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) and Water Temperature on Growth Performance, Blood Plasma Indices, Heat Shock Proteins and GABAergic Gene Expression in Juvenile Olive Flounder Paralichthys olivaceus

“…In a trial by Farris et al [ 13 ], juvenile olive flounder supplemented with GABA (237 mg/kg) demonstrated improved growth, digestive enzyme activities and innate immunity when challenged with the pathogen Streptococcus iniae. Similar beneficial results were found by Bae et al [ 12 ] in whiteleg shrimp ( Litopenaeus vannamei ) supplied with a supplementation of GABA at 100 mg/kg including bacterial resistance against Vibrio alginolyticus . Thus far, investigations into the effects of GABA in the diet of teleost fish have largely focused on its ability to modulate physiological pathways connected to growth and immune responses under ideal abiotic environmental parameters.…”

“…Thus GABA A and GABA B are differentially involved in multiple functions of neuronal circuits in the OB of fish [ 3 ]. In recent years, a great number of studies have been performed to assess the physiological effects that GABA supplementation may have in aquatic species important to the aquaculture industry [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Although GABA has been utilized for quite some time to induce settling and metamorphosis in abalone [ 14 , 15 ], it has been recently demonstrated to have significant contributions to the growth, feeding behavior, appetite, digestion and immune status of crustaceans and teleost fish [ 6 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ].…”

“…Although GABA has been utilized for quite some time to induce settling and metamorphosis in abalone [ 14 , 15 ], it has been recently demonstrated to have significant contributions to the growth, feeding behavior, appetite, digestion and immune status of crustaceans and teleost fish [ 6 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ]. In the case of whiteleg shrimp, GABA has been shown to modulate feed intake, growth, antioxidant capacity and disease resistance [ 10 , 12 ]. With regard to teleost fish, it has also been demonstrated that GABA supplementation within an optimal range can generally promote growth, feed intake, antioxidant enzymes, heat shock proteins, disease resistance and modulation of the microbiota [ 13 , 20 ].…”

Evaluation of Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) as a Functional Feed Ingredient on Growth Performance, Immune Enhancement, and Disease Resistance in Olive Flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) under High Stocking Density

“…As a result of the analysis of the current study, significantly higher SOD levels were obtained in the experimental groups to which GABA was added. It was found that GABA decreased oxidative stress and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes in fish, as found in humans, rats, broilers, hens, and pigs, as well as similar to those found in fish and shellfish [15,[20][21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]45]. The results of the present study indicate that dietary GABA can attenuate stress in fish due to high stocking density, which is in agreement with results found in the case of the antioxidant enzyme SOD in Roman hens exposed to heat stress [44], the glutathione (GSH) enzyme in largemouth bass fish exposed to ammonia stress and in turbot fed a high soybean meal diet [52,53].…”

Dietary Tartaric Acid Improves Growth Performance, Gut Microbiota, Digestive Enzyme Activities, Hemolymph Immunity, Antioxidant Markers, and Disease Resistance against Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Pacific White Shrimp

“…After homogenization, the above mixture was made into a paste using 300 mL of water, and the resulting paste was changed to stable sticks using a meat grinder. The pellets were dehumidified for 36 h and then kept at 4 • C until consumption [26]. Finally, the biochemical status of each diet was analyzed using the standard AOAC [27] protocol.…”