Growth Performance, Survival and Immunostimulation, of Beluga (Huso huso) Juvenile Following Dietary Administration of Alginic Acid (Ergosan)

Abstract

A 60-day feeding trial was conducted to examine the effect of dietary alginic acid on growth performance, survival and immunostimulation in beluga, Huso huso juvenile. alginic acid supplemented at 0, 2, 4 and 6 g kg^-1 diet (diets A, B, C and D, respectively). Each diet was fed to triplicate groups of Beluga with initial body weight of 41.7±1.8 g at 10 days intervals (1-10th, 20-30th and 40-50th with non-supplemented diet and 10-20th, 30-40th and 50-60th with supplemented diet). Control group fed non-supplemented diet at total period of the experiment. Final weight, final length, specific growth rate (SGR), condition factor (CF) and percent of weight gain in the fish fed supplemented diets were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.05). Food conversion ratio (FCR) in the fish fed diets C and D were statistically better than the other treatments (p<0.05). Survival was not different among all dietary treatments (p>0.05). Also, use of Ergosan resulted in significance differences in lymphocyte percentage, while there were no statistically significant differences in hematocrit (Hct), monocytes and myelocyte percentages, hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, number of erythrocytes (RBC), total leukocytes (WBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). Neutrophils and eosinophils percentages in the control group were higher than the fish fed supplemented diet. These results indicated that diet C (4 g kg^-1 alginic acid) had the best effect and dietary administration of alginic acid affected on some growth and immune system parameters in great sturgeon, Huso huso juvenile.