ASSESSMENT OF IMMUNE RESPONSES IN AEROMONAS HYDROPHILA CHALLENGE-SURVIVED AND MORIBUND CATLA (CATLA CATLA) FOLLOWING MUSHROOM GLUCAN AND BOVINE LACTOFERRIN SUPPLEMENTED DIET

摘要

The use of immunostimulant in aquaculture is gaining considerable attention because of their ability to enhance the immunocompetence and disease resistance in cultured fish. The use of immunostimulants to stimulate the activities of the non-specific arm of the immune system has been given considerable importance in aquaculture in order to increase disease resistance in farmed fish. Several immunostimulants administered as feed additives to modulate nonspecific immunity, have been found to play a rolein protection against diseases in fish (Raa, 1996; Sakai, 1999). 6~glucans induce immune responses in several fish species through enhancement of various nonspecific humoral defense factors such as complement and lysozyme activities (Santarem et al, 1997; Bagni el al, 2005) as well as through enhancement of various cellular mechanisms such as phagocytosis, respiratory burst and bactericidal activity (Castro et al, 1999; Selvaraj et al, 2005).