Use of Bacillus probiotics for immune responses and intestinal microflora of white leg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) post larvae

The effect of dietary containing of Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus licheniformis in three groups including commercial, commercial-indigenous and indigenous was investigated on the immune parameters (glucose, albumin, total protein, lysozyme, cortisol, immunoglobulin M (IgM)) and the intestinal flora of white leg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) post larvae. The shrimp were fed for 60 days with four different diets: control (without probiotics), diet T1 supplemented with 1.5×10 CFU g commercial probiotic, diet T2 with 1.5×10 CFU g commercial-indigenous probiotic, diet T3 with 1.5×10 CFU g indigenous probiotic. At the end of experimental period, the levels of biochemical parameters (glucose, total protein, lysozyme, cortisol, IgM) of shrimp fed probiotic diets were significantly higher than in those shrimps fed the control diet for 60 days. However, albumin concentrations showed no significant difference between the experimental treatments and the control, but increased by 1.19, 1.15 and 1.14 after 60 days of feeding with diets T1, T2 and T3, respectively. Likewise, population density of Bacillus bacteria counted in digestive tract of shrimps treated with probiotic were significantly higher than the control group. Results of this study indicated that the addition of probiotic bacili can improve immune parameters and modulates intestinal microbiota of shrimp (L. vannamei) post larvae. Corresponding author