aInstitute of Feed Science, Zhejiang University, The Key Laboratory of Molecular Animal Nutrition, Ministry of Education, 164 Qiutao North Road, Hangzhou 310029, P.R. China.
bThe Key Laboratory of Mariculture (Ministry Education of China), Ocean University of China, 5 Yushan Road, Qingdao, Shandong 266003, P.R. China.
*Corresponding author: Tel: +86 571 86951729; Fax: +86 571 86091820; E-mail: xinxiawang@zju.edu.cn
The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary β-1,3 glucan and different feeding frequency on the innate immune response and protection against Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection in Chinese shrimp larvae Fenneropenaeus chinensis from zoea to postlarvae. A basal diet was supplemented with 0%, 0.10%, 0.25% or 0.50% β-1,3 glucan and randomly allocated to triplicate groups of shrimp larvae in tanks. The results of 14 d feeding trial showed that 0.25% glucan significantly enhanced larvae growth, immunity and challenge survival. This feed was fed to shrimp larvae at different feeding frequency, i.e. daily (0 glucan) diet (DG0), daily 0.25% glucan diet (DG0.25), one day 0.25% glucan diet—three days control diet (1DG0.25–3DG0) and three days 0.25% glucan diet—three days control diet (3DG0.25–3DG0). At the end of experiment, larvae were challenged with V. parahaemolyticus. Shrimp larvae fed 0.25% glucan incorporated diet daily (DG0.25) gave maximum challenge survival. These results suggested that daily feeding 0.25% glucan could enhance growth, increase survival rate during development and innate immunity of shrimp from zoea to postlarvae.
Fenneropenaeus chinensis, larvae, glucan, immunity, feeding frequency
