title: Influence of selected Indian immunostimulant herbs against white spot syndrome virus (WSSV) infection in black tiger shrimp, Penaeus monodon with reference to haematological, biochemical and immunological changes.
abstract: Immunostimulants are the substances, which enhance the non-specific defence mechanism and provide resistance against the invading pathogenic micro-organism. In order to increase the immunity of shrimps against the WSSV, the methanolic extracts of five different herbal medicinal plants like Cyanodon dactylon, Aegle marmelos, Tinospora cordifolia, Picrorhiza kurooa and Eclipta alba were selected and mixed thoroughly in equal proportion. The mixed extract was supplemented with various concentrations viz. 100 (A), 200 (B), 400 (C), and 800 (D) mgkg(-1) through artificial diets individually. The prepared diets (A-D) were fed individually to WSSV free healthy shrimp Penaeus monodon with an average weight of 8.0+/-0.5g for 25 days. Control diet (E), devoid of herbal extract was also fed to shrimps simultaneously. After 25 days of feeding experiment, the shrimps were challenged with WSSV, which were isolated and propagated from the infected crustaceans. The shrimps succumbed to death within 7 days when fed on no herbal immunostimulant diet (E). Among the different concentrations of herbal immunostimulant supplemented diets, the shrimps fed on diet D (800mgkg(-1)) significantly (P<0.0001) had more survival (74%) and reduction in the viral load. Also the better performance of haematological, biochemical and immunological parameters was found in the immunostimulant incorporated diets fed shrimps. The present work revealed that the application of herbal immunostimulants will be effective against shrimp viral pathogenesis and they can be recommended for shrimp culture.
authors.affiliation: Fish Developmental Genetics and Cell Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuchang, Wuhan 430072, PR China. citarasu@gmail.com
authors.forename: Thavasimuthu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Citarasu
authors.forename: Veeramani
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sivaram
authors.forename: Grasian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Immanuel
authors.forename: Namita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rout
authors.forename: Vadivel
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Murugan
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D004156:Catechol Oxidase / Q000032:analysis; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004792:Enzyme Precursors / Q000032:analysis; D006458:Hemolymph / Q000187:drug effects / Q000821:virology; D029001:Herbal Medicine; D009132:Muscles / Q000187:drug effects; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013481:Superoxides / Q000032:analysis; D016019:Survival Analysis; D046848:White spot syndrome virus 1 / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D004792:Enzyme Precursors; D010936:Plant Extracts; D013481:Superoxides; C038451:pro-phenoloxidase; D004156:Catechol Oxidase