Effects of dietary supplementation with Arthrobacter bussei powder on growth performance, antioxidant capacity, and innate immunity of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

The red-pink pigments produced by Arthrobacter bussei reportedly possess antioxidant and antibiotic properties, in addition to serving as food colorants and providing nutritional benefits. Despite the industrial potential of A. bussei, research on this bacterium has remained limited since it was first identified. This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with A. bussei isolated from the Saemangeum Reservoir on the growth per-formance, hematological parameters, antioxidant capacity, and innate immunity of Litopenaeus vannamei. A total of six experimental diets were prepared and evaluated through a feeding trial. A basal feed was used as the control (CON), and the fishmeal content of the experimental diets was partially replaced with A. bussei powder (0.2%, 0.4%, 0.6%, 0.8%, and 1.0%; AB-1, AB-2, AB-3, AB-4, and AB-5, respectively). Shrimp (mean +/- standard deviation, 0.40 +/- 0.01 g) were randomly stocked in 50-L acrylic tanks (18 tanks with 25 shrimp per tank). Experimental diets containing 38.5% of crude protein and 5.4% crude lipid was supplied to the shrimp four times daily (9:00, 13:00, 17:00, 21:00) at 6-14% of shrimp body weight for 6 weeks. The experimental groups (AB-2, AB-3, AB-4, and AB-5) fed with A. bussei powder showed significantly higher final body weight (FBW), weight gain (WG), feed efficiency (FE), and specific growth rate (SGR) than the CON group. The mean glutamyl oxa-loacetic transaminase and glutamic-pyruvate transaminase levels of the experimental groups supplemented with A. bussei powder were significantly lower than those of the CON group. The experimental groups supplemented with A. bussei powder exhibited higher lysozyme, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activity than the CON group. Our findings suggested that A. bussei powder can improve the growth rate, FE, health, antiox-idant capacity, and non-specific immunity of L. vannamei. We recommend that the diets of Pacific white shrimp be supplemented with >= 0.4% A. bussei powder.

Automated summary

The addition of A. bussei powder to shrimp diets can improve growth performance, immune response, and antioxidant capacity, while reducing liver enzyme levels. This has potential implications for industrial applications.