Immunostimulatory response induced by supplementation of Ficus benghalensis root powder, in the artificial feed the Indian freshwater murrel, Channa punctatus

Methanol extract from the dried aerial root of Ficus benghalensis, was used to evaluate antibacterial activity on the bacterial strains of Aeromonas hydrophila and Escherichia coli, by disc diffusion method. In order to study, if there is any immunostimulatory response of F. benghalensis, immunized fish were fed with supplementary artificial feed containing 5% F. benghalensis dried root powder. There was no marked difference in the levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in control and treated fish, suggesting that the supplementary feed had no adverse effect on liver or kidney. Serum lysozyme, tissue super oxide dismutase (SOD), percentage phagocytosis, phagocytotic index, nitric oxide (NO), total serum protein and immunoglobulin increased significantly in the treated fish compared to control fish. Serum immunoglobulin levels were estimated by development of a sandwich ELISA, and levels were found to increase with successive immunizations of BSA.

► It is the first report on immunostimulatory response of Ficus benghalensis in Channa.
► Both specific and non-specific immunity of Channa punctatus is boosted.
► Sandwich ELISA has been developed for analysis of immunoglobulin levels.
► There are no visual and physiological symptoms of disease/stress.