The effects of different routes of inulin administration on gut microbiota and survival rate of Indian white shrimp post-larvae (Fenneropenaeus indicus)

Abstract

The present study investigates the effects of different routes of inulin administration as prebiotic on gut microbiota and survival rate of Indian white shrimp post-larvae. Four hundred and fifty Indian white shrimp post-larvae (PL₁) were stocked in nine tanks. The tanks were assigned into three treatments: feeding with inulin-treated (110 mg L^-1) <em>Artemia</em> nauplii (I-T), feeding with inulin-enriched (110 mg L^-1) <em>Artemia</em> nauplii (I-E) and control which repeated triplicates. Feeding trial was performed until PL₁₁ stage and then gut microbiota was studied using culture based method. Also, survival rate was calculated at the end of feeding trial. Our results showed that feeding on inulin enriched or treated <em>Artemia</em> nauplii had no significant effect on total viable culturable autochthonous bacteria and <em>Vibrio</em> spp. levels of the gut microbiota (<em>p</em> > 0.05). However, a remarkable increase of lactic acid bacteria levels (LAB) was observed in I-E treatment (<em>p</em> < 0.05). Administration of inulin enriched <em>Artemia</em> nauplii significantly elevated survival rates of Indian white shrimp post-larvae (<em>p</em> < 0.05). These results encourage administration of prebiotic-enriched <em>Artemia</em> nauplii in post larval stage of Indian white shrimp but determination the mode of action of prebiotic on various aspects of shrimp larviculture merit further research.