Evaluation of Potential Probiotics Bacillus subtilis WB60, Pediococcus pentosaceus, and Lactococcus lactis on Growth Performance, Immune Response, Gut Histology and Immune-Related Genes in Whiteleg Shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of different dietary probiotic supplements in juvenile whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. A basal control diet without probiotics (CON), and five other diets by supplementing Bacillus subtilis at 107 CFU/g diet (BS7), B. subtilis (BS8), Pediococcus pentosaceus (PP8), and Lactococcus lactis (LL8) at 108 CFU/g diet, and oxytetracycline (OTC) at 4 g/kg diet were used. Whiteleg shrimp with initial body weights of 1.41 ± 0.05 g (mean ± SD) were fed with these diets. Growth of shrimp fed BS8 and LL8 diets was significantly higher than those of shrimp fed the CON diet (p < 0.05). Superoxide dismutase activity in shrimp fed PP8 and LL8 diets was significantly higher than that of shrimp fed the CON diet (p < 0.05). Lysozyme activity of shrimp fed probiotics and OTC diets significantly improved compared to those on the CON diet (p < 0.05). The intestinal histology showed healthier guts for shrimp fed the probiotic diets (p < 0.05). Immune-related gene expression in shrimp fed BS8, PP8 and LL8 diets was recorded as significantly higher than that of shrimp fed CON and OTC diets (p < 0.05). Also, results of the challenge test for 7 days and the digestive enzyme activity of shrimp fed BS8, PP8, and LL8 were significantly improved compared to those on the CON diet (p < 0.05). Therefore, these results indicated that L. lactis at 108 CFU/g could be an ideal probiotic for whiteleg shrimp, and also B. subtilis WB60 and P. pentosaceus at 108 CFU/g could improve the growth, immunity, histology, gene expression, digestive enzyme activity, and disease resistance, while replacing antibiotics.