Effects of dietary Clostridium butyricum on the growth performance and intestinal health of hybrid groupers (Epinephelus lanceolatus♂ × E. fuscoguttatus♀)

Abstract

Abstracts: This trial was performed to investigate the effects of Clostridium butyricum on growth and intestinal health of hybrid groupers (Epinephelus lanceolatus♂ × E. fuscoguttatus♀). 300 hybrid groupers were fed five diets containing C. butyricum at 0, 1 × 107, 2 × 107, 3 × 107, 4 × 107 CFU/g for 8 weeks. The results revealed that dietary C. butyricum significantly increased weight gain rate (WGR), specific growth rate (SGR) and relative feed intake (RFI) (P < 0.05). Moderate C. butyricum significantly promoted lipase (LPS), chymotrypsin (CTS), alpha amylase (α-AMS), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activities and up-regulated intestinal manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), interleukin10 (IL-10), transforming growth factorβ (TGF-β), zonula occludens protein-2 (ZO-2), zonula occludens protein-3 (ZO-3), Occludin and Claudin-3a mRNA levels, while significantly decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) content and down-regulated intestinal Kelch-like-ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) mRNA levels (P < 0.05). 1 × 107 CFU/g C. butyricum significantly augmented villus length, muscle thickness and goblet cells in intestine of hybrid groupers (P < 0.05). 1 × 107 CFU/g C. butyricum significantly increased richness and diversity of intestinal microbiota (P < 0.05) and abundance of beneficial bacteria. Meanwhile, 1 × 107 CFU/g C. butyricum decreased the risk of conditional pathogenic bacteria to invade the host.

Keywords

• Hybrid grouper
• Clostridium butyricum
• Growth performance
• Immune function
• Intestinal microbiota