Research Article: Effect of a commercial probiotic (Supersets® and Varna®) on growth performance, hematological indices, and immunological parameters in sturgeon hybrid bester (Huso huso ♂× Acipenser ruthenus ♀) fingerling

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of a commercial probiotic containing Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. delbrueckii, L. rhamnosus, and L. plantarum on growth performance, hematological and immunological parameters of bester fingerlings. Two-hundred and forty fingerlings (۱۰±۰.۹ g) were randomly distributed into ۱۲ fiberglass tanks. The experimental diets were formulated using ۰ (control), ۱۰۰ (T۱۰۰), ۲۰۰ (T۲۰۰), and ۳۰۰ (T۳۰۰) mg/kg of the probiotic. The fish were fed at ۳% of body weight for ۸ weeks. The result revealed that dietary probiotics increased final weight, condition factor, daily growth rate, specific growth rate, and body weight increase (p>۰.۰۵). Also, we observed a significant increase in feed efficiency ratio and protein efficiency ratio for fish fed with T۳۰۰ compared to T۲۰۰ (p<۰.۰۵). Hematological parameters were not influenced by dietary probiotic levels (p>۰.۰۵). There were no significant differences in total immunoglobulin (p>۰.۰۵), while alternative complement activity was significantly enhanced by the inclusion of probiotics in diets (p<۰.۰۵). The present study showed that feed efficiency, protein efficiency, and immunological parameters of bester fingerling have been improved by adding the commercial probiotic at ۲۰۰ mg/kg.

Keywords:

Probiotic , Bester , Growth , Hematological parameters , Immunological Parameters