The effect of probio-enzyme on digestive enzyme activity of whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931)

The effect of simultaneous application of probiotic and digestive enzyme on the intestinal digestive activity of the whiteleg shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei, was evaluated. For this purpose, the juvenile shrimps were fed for 30 days with a dietary probio-enzyme (containing a combination of six exogenous enzymes and four probiotic bacterial strains) at four concentrations of 0, 0.25, 0.5, and 1 g kg-1 feed. Shrimps (5.04±0.39 g ind-1) were randomly distributed in 12 aquaria (4 treatments × 3 replications); each aquarium contained 15 individual shrimps. Results indicated significantly (p≤0.05) higher growth performance, amylase and lipase activity at 0.5 g kg-1 treatment as compared to other treatments. Protease activity was, however, significantly (p≤ 0.05) higher at 1.0 g kg-1treatment as compared to other groups. Results also indicated that increase in the concentration of probiotic and enzymes supplementation was not associated with increase in all the digestive enzyme activity. In other words, probiotics and enzymes onlywithin specific range can have positive effect on growth performance and digestive enzyme activity of L. vannamei, above or below.