Effect of Probiotic on Growth Response and Nutrient Utilization of African catfish Clarias gariepinus

Abstract

Lactic acid bacteria [LAB] were isolated from Claris gariepinus and were tested for their probiotic activity. Three hundred juvenile of C. Gariepinus with the means weight of 50.93+ 0.16g were randomly selected and distributed into fifteen [15] plastic tanks with three replications for each treatment and fed with probiotic fortified diets of 40% crude protein in the following concentrations; Diet 1-ocfu/ml [control], Diet 2- 10cfu/ml, cfu/ml, Diet 3 – 10   cfu/ml, Diet 4 – 10 7 cfu/ml and Diet 5 – 10cfu/ml. The experimented fish were fed twice per day at 3% body weight feeding rate for 90 days. Growth, Hematology and plasma biochemical changes in the fish were measured.  challenge test was carried out on the probiotic fed fish with the use of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as pathogenic indicator to assess their resistance against the bacterium. The growth of the probiotic fed fish was higher cfu/ml had the best growth and highest resistance to the  bacterium. The growth of the probiotic fed fish was highrer [P  <0.05] than the control [without probiotic]. Hematology and plasma changes in fish with diet 2 – diet 5 were significantly highrer [p < 0.05] than the control diet. The fish fed with probiotic 3 – 10 cfu/ml had the best growth and highest resistance to the bacterium [pseudomonas aerruginosa].