Fermented Animal Source Protein as Substitution of Fishmeal on Intestinal Microbiota, Immune-Related Cytokines and Resistance to Vibrio mimicus in Freshwater Crayfish (Cherax cainii)

A feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effects of substitution of fishmeal (FM) by dietary poultry by-product meal, fermented by Lactobacillus casei and Saccharomyces cerevisiae on growth, intestinal health, microbial composition, immune related cytokines and disease resistance of freshwater crayfish, marron (Cherax cainii) against Vibrio mimicus. Two isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets were formulated by replacing FM protein with fermented poultry by-product meal (FPBM) protein at 0% (Control) and 75% (FPBM), and fed marron for 70 days. The results indicated no significant difference (P>0.05) in final body weights between two groups of marron, whilst intestinal microvilli number per fold was increased in marron fed FPBM than the control. The 16S rRNA sequences revealed an increased number of Lactobacillus and…