Effect of purple coneflower (Echinacea purpora) and garlic (Allium satvium) as a supplemented dietary intake on some non-specific immune status, hematological parameters and growth performance in grower (Huso huso)

The effects of orally administered purple cone flower Echinacea purpura and garlic (Allium satvium) on the non-specific immunity and growth condition of beluga weighing 1.15 ± 0.02 kg were evaluated for a period of 60 days. The tree groups of fish were fed two diets containing 0.5% purple coneflower and 1% garlic and a control diet containing no supplemented herb. The growth performance was positively affected by both dietary herbal supplementations (p 0.05). Among the humoral factors, serum alternative complement, lysozyme and respiratory burst activity increased significantly in all supplemented groups when compared to the control (p 0.05). These findings demonstrate that dietary Echinacea and garlic can modulate some of the innate defense mechanisms, hematological and growth parameters in Huso huso.