Sareh Nazerian - Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran
Hosna Gholipour kanani - Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran
Hojat Allah Jafaryan - Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Gonbad Kavous University, Gonbad Kavous, Iran
Mehdi Soltani - Department of Aquatic Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

The effects of orally administered purple cone flowerEchinacea purpura and garlic (Allium satvium) on thenon-specific immunity and growth condition of belugaweighing 1.15 ± 0.02 kg were evaluated for a periodof 60 days. The tree groups of fish were fed two dietscontaining 0.5% purple coneflower and 1% garlic and acontrol diet containing no supplemented herb. The growthperformance was positively affected by both dietary herbalsupplementations (p < 0.05). Among the humoral factors,serum alternative complement, lysozyme and respiratoryburst activity increased significantly in all supplementedgroups when compared to the control (p < 0.05). Thesefindings demonstrate that dietary Echinacea and garliccan modulate some of the innate defense mechanisms,hematological and growth parameters in Huso huso.

Echinacea purpurea; garlic; Huso huso; innate immunity