Synergistic effect of sodium selenite and Pediococcus acidilactici on growth, intestinal bacterial counts, selenium bioavailability, hepatic enzymes and non‐specific immune response in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) have a crucial role in inorganic selenium metabolism as well as their known desirable effects on fish. In this study, the synergistic effects of dietary sodium selenite and Pediococcus acidilactici on growth performance, intestinal bacterial counts, selenium bioavailability, hepatic antioxidant enzyme thioredoxin reductase activity and hepatic glycolytic enzyme activity that is hexokinase, phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase, and non‐specific immune response such as serum lysozyme and complements C3, C4 and ACH50 activity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) were investigated. Thus, a 3 × 3 factorial design experiment was conducted with nine purified diets including three levels of sodium selenite (0, 1 and 2 mg/kg) and three levels of P. acidilactici (0, 7 and 9 log CFU/g). After 8 weeks of feeding, weight gain and specific growth rate were increased by increasing dietary sodium selenite and P. acidilactici levels compared to control (p