Yeast culture supplementation alters the performance and health status of juvenile largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fed a high‐plant protein diet

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of yeast culture on the growth, hepatic antioxidant capacity, intestinal barrier and microflora of fish fed a high‐cottonseed protein diet. The largemouth bass (initial body weight: 12.17 ± 0.02 g) were randomly allotted into three treatments, fish meal‐based diet (FM), cottonseed protein concentrate‐based diet (CPC, 36% of the fish meal replaced by cottonseed protein concentrate) and CPC diet with yeast culture (CPCY, CPC+3% yeast culture) for 8 weeks, respectively. The results indicated fish fed 3% yeast culture diet could enhance specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER) and feeding rate (FR), while the hepatosomatic index (HSI) and liver glycogen content were significantly decreased compared with the CPC group (p