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Dietary supplement of fructooligosaccharides and Bacillus subtilis enhances the growth rate and disease resistance of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus ( S elenka)
Author(s) -
Sun Yongxin,
Wen Zhixin,
Li Xuejun,
Meng Nan,
Mi Rui,
Li Yajie,
Li Shuying
Publication year - 2012
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/j.1365-2109.2011.02936.x
Subject(s) - apostichopus japonicus , sea cucumber , bacillus subtilis , biology , fructooligosaccharide , zoology , food science , lysozyme , biochemistry , ecology , bacteria , genetics
The effects of two dietary supplements, entrapped fructooligosaccharide ( FOS ) and microencapsulated Bacillus subtilis , on the growth and disease resistance of the sea cucumber Apostichopus japonicus were investigated. Sea cucumbers (a total of 810 animals, with initial weight of 3.72 ± 0.16 g each) were fed with basal diet only or basal diet supplemented with three different doses of B. subtilis (0.2, 0.4 and 0.8%), three different doses of FOS (0.4, 0.8 and 1.6%), 0.2% B. subtilis plus 0.4% or 0.8% FOS . Growth and lysozyme activity were measured after 50 days feeding. The results showed that dietary 0.2% and 0.4% B. subtilis alone or 0.2% B. subtilis plus 0.8% FOS significantly increased the specific growth rate ( SGR ) of sea cucumbers compared with control ( P < 0.05). The addition of B. subtilis with or without FOS had no significant effect on lysozyme activity. The animals were also challenged with Vibrio splendidus to assess the level of disease resistance provided by the two dietary supplements. Sea cucumbers fed with 0.8% B. subtilis or 0.2% B. subtilis plus 0.8% FOS exhibited the highest survival ( P > 0.05). Under these experimental conditions, dietary B. subtilis and FOS had no synergistic effect on enhancing SGR and disease resistance of sea cucumber.