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Effects of bio‐flocculated algae on the growth, digestive enzyme activity and microflora of freshwater fish Catla catla (Hamilton 1922)
Author(s) -
Kandathil Radhakrishnan Divya,
Velayudhannair Krishnakumar,
Schmidt Bjorn V.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/are.14798
Subject(s) - biology , catla , algae , food science , lactobacillus acidophilus , chlorella vulgaris , microbiology and biotechnology , probiotic , zoology , botany , labeo , bacteria , fishery , fish <actinopterygii> , genetics
In numerous ways, diets incorporating probiotics are beneficial to host animals. This study was conducted to evaluate the influence of bio‐flocculated freshwater algae Chlorella vulgaris on the freshwater fish Catla catla . For the process of flocculating algae, probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus (10307 MTCC) and Bacillus subtilis (MTCC 441) were used. The experimental fish were fed with Artemia franciscana enriched with flocculated algae for 60 days. A control group was fed with unenriched A. franciscana . After the experimental period, there was a significant decrease in anaerobic bacteria and a significant colonization of candidate probiotics in guts of fish fed with flocculated algae‐enriched Artemia . This treatment group also had a better growth performance with a higher average body length and weight (8.7 ± 0.3 cm, 5.83 ± 0.9 g) and survival % (98 ± 1.02). High protease (7.8 µmg/protein −1 ) and lipase (2.56 µmg/protein −1 ) activity were also found in the enriched A. franciscana ‐fed fish group. Comparatively, higher protein, lipid and PUFA/HUFA contents were also reported in this treatment group. The study found that flocculated algae‐enriched A. franciscana has a positive impact on gut microflora, growth parameters and survival as compared to the unenriched group, and hence, the flocculated algae serve a dual purpose in rearing of C. catla . This study supports the inference that a bio‐flocculated algae‐incorporated diet is a preferable method for larval rearing aquaculture.