Effects of Dietary β-Glucan Feeding Strategy on the Growth, Physiological Response, and Gut Microbiota of Pacific White Shrimp, <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i>, under Low Salinity

Abstract

An eight-week feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of a dietary β-glucan application strategy on the growth performance, physiological response, and gut microbiota of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) (0.49 ± 0.17 g) under low salinity. Six feeding strategies were established, including a continuous β-glucan-free diet group (control), a continuously fed group with a 0.1% β-glucan diet (T1), and groups with the following intermittent feeding patterns: 1 day of β-glucan diet and 6 days of β-glucan-free diet (T2), 2 days of β-glucan diet and 5 days of β-glucan-free diet (T3), 3 days of β-glucan diet and 4 days of β-glucan-free diet (T4), and 4 days of β-glucan diet and 3 days of β-glucan-free diet (T5) each week. No significant differences in growth performance among all the groups were found, although the condition factor was significantly higher in the T3 group than in the T1 and T5 groups (p p p Pen3a gene was significantly upregulated in the hepatopancreas of the T4 group compared to the control and T5 groups (p Toll gene was also significantly upregulated in the T3 group compared to the T1 and T2 groups (p L. vannamei under low salinity.

Keywords

• <i>Litopenaeus vannamei</i>
• β-glucan
• feeding strategies
• low salinity
• gut microbiota