Sidra Nazeer, Ehsan Mahmood Bhatti and Imtiaz Begum
Keywords: Aeromonas hydrophila, Labeo rohita, probiotic, immunity, growth.
Abstract: In this study, the individual as well as combined effect of commercially available probiotics containing Lactobacillus acidophillus and Sacchromyces cerevisiae was studied on the growth performance. The study was also extended to protection against infectious bacteria Aeromonas hydrophila which is the cause of abdominal dropsy in fish. Three different concentrations of probiotics (2, 3 and 4%) were fed to fish fingerlings (Labeo rohita) in 30% commercial artificial feed for 60 days. In combination group, dietary probiotics at 4% dose showed significant average increase in growth i.e. 80% and survival rate was 99% when challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila, followed by 3% and then 2% doses. Sacchromyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus acidophillus individually showed their significant effect on the growth of fish which was very close to each other, as the % age increase in weight for Sacchromyces cerevisiae was 67.7% and for Lactobacillus acidophillus it was 67% at 4% dose. Feeding of supplemented diets showed reduced mortality in combination group (1%) followed by Sacchromyces cerevisiae (3%) and then Lactobacillus acidophillus (6%) in comparison to control group where 93.33% mortality was observed.
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