Feeding Strategies with Multi-Strain Probiotics Affect Growth, Health Condition, and Disease Resistance in Asian Seabass (Lates calcarifer)

Abstract

A 16-week feeding trial was done to examine the impacts of continuous feeding (CF) or pulse-feeding (PF) of multi-strain probiotics on Asian seabass (Lates calcarifer, 30.0 ± 0.1 g) juveniles. In this study, three different multi-strain probiotic mixtures were added to a basal diet, including (I) a mixture of different strains of Lactobacillus plantarum, (II) a mixture of the first probiotic (I) + L. delbrueckii sub bulgaricus, L. rhamnosus and L. acidophilus, and (III) a mixture of the second probiotic (II) + two quorum quenching (QQ) bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis QQ1 and B. cereus QQ2). CF (every day) or PF (every two weeks) strategies were applied for using the abovementioned probiotics to design seven experimental groups including C (control, without probiotics), CF-I (continuous feeding of fish with the probiotic mixture I), CF-II (continuous feeding of fish with the probiotic mixture II), CF-III (continuous feeding of fish with the probiotic mixture III), PF-I (pulse-feeding of fish with the probiotic mixture I), PF-II (pulse-feeding of fish with the probiotic mixture II), and PF-III (pulse-feeding of fish with the probiotic mixture III). Four hundred and twenty fish were stocked into 21 circular polyethylene tanks with 220 L volume (20 fish/tank). Each dietary treatment had three replicates. Tanks were supplied with seawater (temperature = 30.5 °C, salinity = 45 g L^-1) in a flow-throw system. Fish in CF-I, CF-II, and CF-III had higher growth rate (ca. 113-145%) and better feed conversion ratio than fish fed C and PF-I (P < 0.05). Fish in the CF-III group had the highest protease activity. Continuous feeding strategy resulted in a higher amount of glutathione and catalase activities in both the liver and plasma as well as higher superoxide dismutase activity in the liver of fish. Pulse-feeding strategy resulted in lower plasma lactate dehydrogenase and aspartate aminotransferase levels than the CF strategy. Regardless of feeding strategy, different probiotic mixtures significantly enhanced blood hemoglobin and hematocrit levels compared to the control. Continuous feeding with the multi-strain probiotics resulted in a higher survival rate against Vibrio harveyi than the PF method. Continuous feeding induced higher mRNA transcription levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells and interleukin 10 genes in the gut of fish than PF strategy. In conclusion, continuous feeding with multi-strain probiotics is better than pulse-feeding on growth, feed utilization, antioxidant capacity, and the gut's immune-related genes and led to higher resistance of L. calcarifer in challenge with V. harveyi.

Keywords: Feeding strategy; Hematology; Innate immunity; Marine fish; Quorum quenching probiotics; Vibriosis.