Efficacy of probiotics, prebiotics, and immunostimulant on growth performance and immunological parameters of Procambarus clarkii juveniles

Procambarus clarkii juveniles were used as an aquatic model to investigate growth performance and immune parameters after 6 weeks of feeding with supplementation of ten experimental diets containing 1%, 2%, 3% Biogen® (as probiotics), Allium sativum (garlic) and Cynodon dactylon (as immunostimulant) and one concentration (3 g/L) of sodium alginate (as prebiotics), compared with feeding on control basal diets only. All supplementation diets increased survival rates and wet weight, while, 1% and 2% C. dactylon showed a significant (P ⩽ 0.05) increase in weight gain percentage (WG%), and specific growth rate (SGR). Feeding with diet containing 2% Biogen®, 2% and 3% garlic and sodium alginate showed a significant (P ⩽ 0.05) increase in SGR rate after 6 weeks. Synergetic effect of 1% and 3% Biogen® and sodium alginate in total hemocytes count (THC) which increased significantly (P ⩽ 0.05) after 6 weeks of feeding. Prophenoloxidase activity increased with all supplemented diets. While SOD increased significantly with 3% C. dactylon, 1% and 3% garlic and 2% Biogen. The results indicated that Biogen®, garlic, C. dactylon and sodium alginate inclusion with a basal diet had the potential to improve the growth and immune response of P. clarkii juveniles, hence this enables us to use the three supplementation diets in fish and prawn farms to improve their growth and immune parameters.