Dietary mixture of short-chain fatty acids, a phytogenic agent, and a permeabilizer improved growth, antioxidant enzymes, and immunocompetence in whiteleg shrimp juveniles (Penaeus vannamei)

An 8-week study was carried out to examine the influence of dietary Biotronic Top3 (BTT3), which is a blend of short-chain fatty acids (formate, propionate, and acetate), a phytogenic agent (cinnamaldehyde), and a permeabilizer complex (Biomin), in whiteleg shrimp ( Penaeus vannamei ) juveniles. Five isonitrogenous (∼38%) diets were formulated and supplemented with BTT3 at 0 (control), 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, or 1.2 g/kg. Shrimps (2.7 g) were allocated into 15 circular fiberglass tanks filled with 150 L seawater (20 shrimp per tank) and each dietary treatment was in triplicate. Shrimps were handfed thrice a day at the rate of 7% of their initial biomass for 8 weeks. At the end of the feeding trial, hemolymph and hepatopancreas (HP) were sampled to evaluate plasma biochemical factors, immune-related genes, and digestive enzymes, respectively. The growth rate in shrimps fed with a 0.3 g BTT3/kg diet was markedly higher (∼1.6 g) than in the control ( P