Received: Apr 27, 2025 / Accepted: Jul 28, 2025 / Published: Dec 31, 2025
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of peptidoglycan, Lactobacillus plantarum, or their combination on the growth performance, disease resistance, and immune status of juvenile striped catfish. Fish were fed on a commercial feed supplemented with various concentrations of peptidoglycan (PG5.0: 5.0g per kg of feed), Lactobacillus plantarum (PL5.0: 5.0g per kg of feed), or the combination of the two (PP0.0: 0.0g + 0.0g per kg of feed; PP2.5: 2.5g + 2.5g per kg of feed); PP5.0: 5.0g + 5.0g per kg of feed). Fish were then fed at a rate of 3% of their body weight for six weeks. After the feeding trial, fish were infected with Aeromonas veronii at 50% the lethal dose (LD50, 107 CFU/mL). Blood samples were collected after two, four, and six weeks of the experiment and on the second day after bacterial infection for hematological parameters and immune assays. The results demonstrated that supplementation with PP2.5 significantly improved the growth performance and feed utilization in fish, while the LP5.0-based diet reduced mortality in A. veronii-challenged fish, indicating enhanced disease resistance. The modifications in hematology and immune status were affected by the pro-, pre-, and synbiotics tested in this study. In conclusion, dietary supplementation with peptidoglycan and L. plantarum enhances growth, immunity, and disease resistance in striped catfish, supporting sustainable aquaculture practices for improved fish health and production efficiency, with the optimal ratio being 2.5g peptidoglycan + 2.5g L. plantarum or 5g L. plantarum per kg of diet in striped catfish.
