Bioencapsulation of bifidobacterium animalis and lactobacillus johnsonii in artemia franciscana as feed for charal (Chirostoma jordani) larvae

Abstract

An experiment was designed to evaluate the filling and effect of probiotic bacteria in metanauplii of Artemia as a vehicle and feed source for Chirostoma jordani, an endemic fish species with socio-economic importance and as a protein source for the population from the central region of México. The optimum filling of metanauplii of Artemia with Lactobacillus johnsonii and Bifidobacterium animalis was achieved in 40 min with a concentration of 2.0 × 103 CFU mL−1 of viable cells of L. johnsonii and B. animalis, respectively, being enough to fill up in 40 min the metanauplii of Artemia with 628 cells of B. animalis and 688 cells of L. johnsonii. During the experiment, 20 metanauplii with or without probiotic bacteria were consumed per fish per day. The encapsulated probiotics promoted the growth and increased the weight and specific growth rate of the larvae of C. jordani compared with the control (P < 0.05). L. johnsonii had a better probiotic effect on metanauplii of C. jordani (P < 0.05).