Effects of garlic-supplemented diet on the growth and survival of the whiteleg shrimp (Liptopenaeus vannamei)

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of garlic supplementation on the growth performance and survival of the whiteleg shrimp, Liptopenaeus vannamei. Shrimp were fed with four dietary levels of garlic: 0% (control), 0.5%, 1%, and 1.5%. After the 56-day feeding trial, survival and growth parameters were evaluated. The results showed that weight gain (WG), daily weight gain (DWG) and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly improved in shrimp fed 1% and 1.5% garlic compared to those fed the control and 0.5% garlic diet (p <0.05). The highest survival rate and biomass of shrimp were obtained in the 1.5% garlic diet, and were significantly different compared with the control and 0.5% garlic diet. However, feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the 1% and 1.5% garlic was lower than that in the control and 0.5% garlic. In conclusion, supplementation of garlic could enhance growth performance and improve survival in L. vannamei, and the supplemented garlic concentration of 1.5% was suitable for L. vannamei.