article · Aquaculture Nutrition
Supplementing the diet of white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, with the probiotic bacterium Pediococcus pentosaceus enhances growth, digestion, and disease resistance. In an eight-week feeding trial, shrimp were fed diets containing varying concentrations of the probiotic, ranging up to 100 million colony-forming units per gram. Shrimp receiving the highest concentration showed significant gains in final weight, length, overall survival, and feed efficiency compared to other groups. This dosage also boosted digestive enzyme activity, specifically protease and amylase, and elevated beneficial intestinal microflora, including Lactobacillus and Bacillus species. Concurrently, counts of harmful Vibrio bacteria and the feed conversion ratio decreased significantly. Immune parameters, such as total haemocyte counts and lysozyme activity, increased alongside improved survival during a disease challenge with Vibrio anguillarum, demonstrating that dietary inclusion of Pediococcus pentosaceus strengthens immunity and performance.
White shrimp are among the most economically significant aquaculture species globally, but commercial production faces ongoing challenges from bacterial infections and feed inefficiency. Identifying effective probiotics like Pediococcus pentosaceus provides a biological approach to boosting growth and natural immune defences. This reduces susceptibility to pathogens such as Vibrio anguillarum while improving feed utilisation, supporting more resilient and productive shrimp farming.
This research demonstrates an applied and tested feed additive for aquafeed manufacturers and commercial shrimp farming enterprises. Incorporating Pediococcus pentosaceus could produce functional feeds that increase shrimp yield, reduce feed conversion costs, and curb losses from bacterial disease. Having been validated through eight-week feeding and pathogen challenge trials, the technology sits at an applied research stage, with larger farm-scale pilot trials required before broad market implementation.
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Litopenaeus vannamei is economically important shrimp species in worldwide aquaculture. This study was conducted to assess the effect of different levels of probiotic Pediococcus pentosaceus (PP) on growth performance, feed utilization, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal microflora count and body composition of L. vannamei. Four diets containing different concentrations [0 (PP0), 106 (PPI), 107 (PPII) and 108 (PPIII) CFU/g] of PP were formulated. After 8 weeks feeding trial, the experimental shrimps were challenged with Vibrio anguillarum and noted the surveillance. At the end of the feeding trial, the obtained results revealed a significant increase (p < .05) in final body weight, final length, weight gain (WG), survival rate, protease and amylase activities, lactobacillus sp. and Bacillus sp. intestinal count, total haemocyte counts (THC) and lysozyme activity in PPIII group when compared with the other groups. Similarly, WG, amylase activity, Bacillus sp. count, THC and lysozyme activity were significantly enhanced in case of PPII compared to the control group (p < .05). Interestingly, FCR and Vibrio sp. counts were significantly decreased in case of PPIII group when compared to the other groups (p < .05). Also, significant level of surveillance was noted in the challenging test with V. anguillarum. These results suggested that the P. pentosaceus improved the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, immunity and tolerance against V. anguillarum of L. vannamei.
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DOI: 10.1111/anu.12515
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