Effect of different levels dietary vitamin C on growth performance, muscle composition, antioxidant and enzyme activity of freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium malcolmsonii

• The dietary vitamin C level increasing the performance rate also increased because of efficiency of vitamin C.
• Based on the broken-line regression between SGR and WG against dietary vitamin C levels, the optimal dietary vitamin C requirement based on SGR and WG were estimated to be 94.24 mg/kg and 94.11 mg/kg diet respectively.
• Vitamin C supplemented in the diet could improve the survival, antioxidant enzymatic activities; and induce haematological parameters of prawns, M. malcolmsonii.

In the present study was conducted to examine the effects and interactions of dietary vitamin C levels on the growth performance, antioxidant ability, muscle composition and enzyme activity in freshwater prawn Macrobrachium malcolmsonii (M. malcolmsonii). Additional, the vitamins C was dietary supplemented for freshwater prawn M. malcolmsonii. The experimental basal diets were supplemented with M. malcolmsonii at the rates of 0 (control), 25, 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg dry feed weight. The as-supplemented vitamin C was fed in M. malcolmsonii for a period of 90 days. In the present investigation revealed that prawns fed with diet supplemented with 25–100 mg/kg of vitamins C shows enhanced (P < 0.05) growth performance, including final weight and weight gain (WG). No significant differences (P > 0.05) in feed conversion ratio (FCR) were observed in prawn fed different diets. Addition, prawns fed with 25–100 mg/kg of vitamins C supplemented diets achieved significant (P < 0.05) improvement in growth performance, digestive enzyme activities, and muscle biochemical compositions, while, the prawns fed with 100 mg/kg of vitamin C showed enhanced performance respectively. Prawn fed on diet supplemented with 100 mg/kg of vitamin C showed significantly (P < 0.05) higher total protein level. However, the prawns fed with above 200–400 mg/kg showed poor performance. The antioxidants enzymatic activity (SOD, CAT) metabolic enzymes status in muscle showed no significant (P > 0.05) alterations in prawns fed with 25–100 mg/kg of vitamin C supplemented diets. Therefore, the present study proposed that 100 mg/kg of vitamin C could be supplemented for flexible enhanced survival; growth, antioxidant defense system and production of M. malcolmsonii.