Study of Immune mucose factor common carp fed dietary water hyacinth

A 7-weeks feeding trial was conducted to examine the effects of different levels (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5%) of dietary water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) leaf powder (WLP) on mucus non-specific immune response (Total immunoglobulins, lysozyme, protease and alkaline phosphatase activity) in common carp were evaluated. A total of 120 fish weighting 50.07 ± 0.79 g were randomly divided into four groups. Skin mucus samples were obtained from nine 24-h starved fish (three sample per replicate) according to the method recommended by Subramanian. Feeding on water hyacinth supplemented diet remarkably increased skin mucus factor special lysozyme activity and Alkalin phosphat (P < 0.05). This study indicates that oral administration of water hyacinth enhances some nonspecific immune responses in C. carpio, and therefore it can be recommended as an herbal immunostimulant in fish.