Effect of Dietary Origanum onites on Growth, Non Specific Immunity and Resistance against Yersinia ruckeri of Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Abstract

Natural substances has been identified to maintain health and improve growth performance in the aquaculture. The effect of Origanum onites on growth and immune response of rainbow trout was investigated. Experimental groups (A and B) of 70 fish were separated into 10 different treatments. A groups were fed with dietary administration of O. onites essential oil (0.5 mL kg-1 and 3.0 mL kg-1) and crude powder (1.0 g kg-1 and 10.0 g kg-1) for a period of 8 weeks. Other groups (B) were vaccinated against Yersinia ruckeri at the beginning of experiment and then fed the same diets described above. Results showed that feed conversion ratio in fish fed a combination of O. onites and vaccine was statistically better than the control. NBT-positive cells, phagocytic activity, serum lysozyme activity and immunoglobulin M level were stimulated in both non vaccinated and vaccinated fish (p<0.05). Cumulative mortality in fish fed O. onites was lower than controls following challenge with Y. ruckeri. No mortality was observed in vaccinated fish fed with 0.5 mL kg-1 of O. onites. These results indicated that dietary administration of O. onites could act as an enhanced non specific immune response, growth performance and resistance to Y. ruckeri.