Dietary ethanolic extract of Prosopis juliflora improved immune-antioxidant capacity and resistance to cold water stress in Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei

Prosopis species, particularly Prosopis juliflora are known for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antifungal properties. The present study evaluated the effect of three doses of dietary ethanolic leaf extract of P. juliflora (ELEPJ), i.e., 0.25, 0.5, and 1% on the immune- antioxidant system and the resistance to cold water stress in Pacific white shrimp, Litopenaeus vannamei. After 60 days of the feeding trial, the shrimps fed diets containing 0.5 and 1% ELEPJ showed significantly higher lysozyme activity, superoxide dismutase, phenol oxidase, and glutathione peroxidase than those of the control group (p 0.05). In response to the cold water stress, the shrimp fed diets containing 0.5 and 1% of ELEPJ showed significantly higher stress resistance than the control group. These results suggest the positive effects of ELEPJ on the immune-antioxidant system and stress resistance of L. vannamei and supplementation of 0.5-1% ELEPJ is recommended for the farm-raised shrimp diet.