Wound-healing potentials of dietary Lactobacillus plantarum and Psidium guajava leaf meal in Clarias gariepinus juveniles

Abstract

This study aimed to assess healing processes in juvenile Clarias gariepinus (C. gariepinus) (Burchell, 1822) fed varying levels of Lactobacillus plantarum (L. plantarum) (strain 762) and Psidium guajava (P. guajava) (Linneaus) meal. Eighty-four C. gariepinus with mean body weight of 125 g were analyzed. The fish were selected using a completely randomized design. They were distributed into 21 aquaria with 40 L water capacity. The adopted wound model was a standard 10-mm2incision made on lateral and caudal regions. The fish were fed with 42% crude protein diet at 0, 40, 60, and 80 cells-1000mL and g-1000 gof L. plantarum and guava leaf meals, respectively. Wound closures were observed daily for quantitative measurements. Healing rates were measured on the regions at 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 days. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance at a p<0.05. The results showed better healing rate at lateral parts across treatments with complete healing recorded on the 12thday. The fastest healing rates and percentage were noted in fish fed LPA-basal diet+40 cells-1000 mLL. plantarum per kg of feed and GMC-basal diet+80 g-1000 gguava meal per kg of feed. These results reveal that L. plantarum at lower and P. guajava at higher concentrations led to faster healing than the control.