Synbiotic-Enriched Artemia as a Functional Feed for Enhancing Immune Response, Gut Health, and Survival in Glass Eel (Anguilla bicolor)

Ruliaty, Lisa; Prayitno, Slamet Budi; Kontara, Endhay Kusnendar Muljana; Sabdaningsih, Aninditia

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2025.423073.6568

Synbiotic-Enriched Artemia as a Functional Feed for Enhancing Immune Response, Gut Health, and Survival in Glass Eel (Anguilla bicolor)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Research Centre for Fisheries, National Research and Innovation Agency, Indonesia

² Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Diponegoro University, Semarang, Indonesia

³ Department of Aquatic Resources Management, Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science, Diponegoro University – Semarang, Indonesia

10.21608/ejabf.2025.423073.6568

Abstract

This research examined the functional advantages of synbiotic-enriched Artemia, which includes Lactobacillus sp. and inulin, as a live feed for glass eel (Anguilla bicolor) during the seed stage. The experiment spanned eight weeks and employed a completely randomized design featuring four treatments: control, probiotic-enriched, prebiotic-enriched, and synbiotic-enriched Artemia. The evaluated parameters comprised haematological indicators of immune response, intestinal histology, gut microbiota composition, survival rate, and specific growth rate. The synbiotic treatment achieved the highest survival rate (70.6 ± 5.6%) and lactic acid bacteria count (19.76 × 10⁵ CFU/g), alongside notable enhancements in intestinal morphology and immune cell activity relative to other groups (P< 0.05). Probiotic supplementation increased growth rate; however, only synbiotic and prebiotic treatments enhanced significantly the immune parameters and gut health. The findings indicated that synbiotic-enriched Artemia improved significantly the disease resistance, gut integrity, and survival rates in A. bicolour during the initial stages of aquaculture, thereby promoting more sustainable seed production methods. This study offers new perspectives on the incorporation of synbiotics in live feed to enhance larval fish health and resilience within intensive aquaculture systems.

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