Physiological Changes in Indian River Prawn Macrobrachium malcolmsonii Experimentally Infected with Vibrio alginolyticus and Vibrio anguillarum

Abstract

Outbreak of diseases and health related problems due to vibriosis are common in brackishwater aquaculture and mariculture. However, studies on vibriosis in the fresh water prawn are not well documented. In the present study, biochemical changes under induced stress condition in Indian river prawn Macrobrachium malcolmsonii was studied. Prawn juveniles of (90 ± 5 mm) procured from a nearby river were injected with pathogenic bacteria (Vibrio alginolyticus and V. anguillarum) through the gill 0.3x106 cfu of each prawn for a period of 15 days in controlled laboratory environment. Total protein of the haemolymph decreased. Haemolymph cholesterol was elevated significantly (p ≤ 0.05) in V. anguillarum infection, whereas triglyceride and glucose level decreased in comparison to the control. Variation of aspartate amino transferase and alanine amino transferase activities increased under bacterial stress condition. The acid phosphatase level was reduced and alkaline phosphatase activity increased. There was a decrease in bactericidal activity in infected prawns.