J. Env. Bio-Sci., 2015: Vol.

29 (2):469-473
(469) ISSN 0973-6913 (Print), ISSN 0976-3384 (On Line)

GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF GIANT FRESHWATER PRAWN, MACROBRACHIUM

ROSENBERGII (DE MAN) IN RELATION TO ADDITION OF FUCOIDAN IN THEIR DIET
J. Canciyal*, P. Jawahar and H.S. Mogalekar
Department of Fisheries Biology and Resource Management, Fisheries College and Research Institute,
Tamil Nadu Fisheries University, Thoothukudi-628 008, Tamil Nadu, India.
[Corresponding author E-mail* : canciyal.johnson@gmail.com]

Received: 05-08-2015 Accepted: 28-08-2015

The study was conducted to assess the effect of fucoidan (bioactive compound) incorporated diet on growth rate of Macrobrachium
rosenbergii. The polysaccharide fucoidan from brown seaweed Padina tetrastromatica was extracted and it was incorporated
with pellet diets at three concentrations (1%, 2% and 3%). The fucoidan incorporated diets were fed to prawn M. rosenbergii for 3
months and the growth performance was assessed. The growth parameters of prawn like weight gain, Specific Growth Rate (SGR)
and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) in different experimental treatments were recorded every fortnight. Highest average weight gain
was recorded in treatment with 3% fucoidan. Similarly, fucoidan fed prawn group displayed higher SGR and better FCR when
compared to the control diet fed prawn group. Form the present work it could be established that the incorporation of fucoidan in
the diet is effective in increasing the growth of Macrobrachium rosenbergii.

As more than 70% of the world's surface is covered by oceans,
the wide diversity of marine organisms offer a rich source of
natural products. Aquaculture industry is likely to experience
a double hike because fish is the only source of cost effective
protein for human consumption. In this context, high
commercial productivity is required which is related to fast
growth with maximum body weight, normally done by inclusion
of synthetic growth promoters like steroid hormones,
antibiotics, vitamins and several other chemicals into the
formulated diets. Marine environment contains a source of
functional materials, including polysaccharides, essential
minerals and vitamins, antioxidants, enzymes, etc. Among
marine organisms, marine algae are rich sources of structurally
diverse bioactive compounds with various biological activities.
The brown Seaweed genus Padina (Dictyotales,
Phaeophyceae) is distributed worldwide in tropical and
temperate seas. Global species diversity and distribution
ranges, however, remain largely unknown. Of 54 species of
Padina recognised from the world1.
The giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de
Man) commonly known as scampi is an economically important
cultured freshwater prawn throughout the world and has
commanded significant attention in tropical freshwater
aquaculture. In India, the production of M. rosenbergii in 2005
was higher [42820 tones (t)] which was continuously decreased
in last few years from 2006-2009 (30115-6600 t). Again it was
dramatically found some increased trends to (13525 t) in
production. Major constraints like diseases, feed cost, seed
availability, water quality and inadequate nutrition are
responsible for fluctuation of M. rosenbergii production. The
dietary supplementation of proper nutrients helps in improving
growth, survival and FCR of prawn. Recently, their importance
as a source of novel bioactive substances is growing rapidly
and researchers have revealed that marine algal originated
compounds exhibit various biological activities2. Many studies
have been made on biological activities of the seaweed and
could be potential rich sources of natural antioxidants. Also
use of these types of bioactive compound products will helpful
to minimize the use of antibiotics in aquaculture, which will
be serve as one of the solution for eco-friendly aquaculture.
Realizing the importance of bioactive compound in prawn diets,
thus the present experimental work is an attempt to evaluate
the performances of fucoidan incorporated in M. rosenbergii
feed, in terms of growth characteristics for application in
aquaculture.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Seaweed collection: Brown Seaweed Padina samples were
collected fortnightly at low-tide by handpicking and using steel
grappling hook from Hare Island, Thoothukudi. Freshly collected
seaweed materials from the station were washed thoroughly
with marine water in the field itself to remove the epiphytes

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 GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF GIANT FRESHWATER PRAWN
and sediment particles. Then the samples were packed
separately in polythene bags in wet conditions and brought to
the laboratory, then thoroughly washed in tap water followed
by distilled water to remove the salt on the surface of the thalli.
Some specimens were stored in 5% formalin solution for further
identification. The seaweed samples were photographed and
Herbaria were simultaneously prepared.
Extraction of Fucoidan: For fucoidan extraction the collected
fresh seaweed specimens kept for drying, washed specimens
were placed on blotting paper and spread out at room
temperature in the shade. The shade dried samples were
grounded to fine powder using a mixi and sieved through a
metal sieve with a pore size of 500µ to obtain fine powder. The
powdered samples were packed in sterile polythene bags and
stored at 4ºC until use. The fucoidan was extracted by standard
method3.
Feed ingredients and diet formulation: The extracted
fucoidan from the Padina tetrastromatica was added with
powder form of fucoidan free control feed individually to the
test diet at different concentrations such as 1%, 2% and 3%.
The ingredients were ground up in a mixer grinder then egg
white and water were added until still dough resulted. Then,
the dough was pelletized by using a laboratory model pelletizer
having 1 millimeter diameter. The pelletized feed was dried by
using hot air oven at 40ºC overnight. After drying, the finished
pellet feeds were stored in labeled plastic containers at 4ºC
until use.
Experimental protocol: The experiment was conducted
during February 2015. The study was carried out in the
fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) tanks having 500 liter
capacity for a period of 90 days in three replicated groups.
The tanks were connected with the help of air compressor and
air blower in order to maintain the optimal oxygen level. The
giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii postlarvae
(PL20) were procured from Sea view prawn hatcheries Pvt.
Ltd, Trichur, Kerala. The collected prawn postlarvae were
acclimated in tap water for a month before the start of the
experiments with the appropriate laboratory conditions and
were fed with Artemia nauplii. After acclimation, uniform sizes
of M. rosenbergii were transferred into the individual
experimental tanks. Initially weight of selected prawn from the
acclimatized tank was measured using analytical balance.
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(470)
Giant freshwater prawn (M. rosenbergii) weighing about an
average size of 0.961±0.40053g in weight were selected from
the acclimatized stock and transferred into individual
experimental tanks at a rate of 10 numbers per tank with the
temperature level of 28 ± 1ºC. The control group was fed with
fucoidan un-supplemented pellet feed. Fecal matter and
uneaten food was removed daily. Water samples were taken
from the experimental tanks for periodical analysis of water
quality parameters such as temperature, pH and Dissolved
Oxygen were analyzed by the standard method4. Water
exchange up to 25% was regularly done during the
experimental period. The prawns were sampled and weighed
on an electronic balance to assess the growth. Growth
parameters were assessed after completion of experiment.
Data were analyzed statistically by using one way analysis of
variance (ANOVA) by using SPSS software (16.0 versions).
Growth Studies: Prawn samples were collected at every 15
days interval. Body weights were measured with the help of
field electronic balance prior to sacrificing the animals. The
growth performances like Weight Gain (WG), Specific Growth
Rate (SGR % per day), and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR),
were all calculated for each experimental tank through the
formula6.
1. WG = Final body weight (gram) - Initial body weight (gram).
2. SGR = (Linear Final Weight - Linear Initial Weight) x 100 / Days.
3. FCR = Feed consumed (gram) x number of prawn / weight
gain (gram).
Statistical analysis: The data obtained in the present study
were expressed as Mean ± Standard Deviation (SD) and
analyzed using ANOVA test at 5% level of significance. Further
a multiple comparison test was assessed based on paired t-
test.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Physico-chemical parameters of rearing water: Physico-
chemical parameters like water temperature (ºC), dissolved
oxygen (mg/L) and pH were in ranges of 28 to 29 ºC, 5 to 5.5
milligram per liter and 7.5 to 7.8 respectively. The average
fluctuation of water quality was recorded and it is presented in
Table-1. There were no significant differences found among
water quality in experimental groups. There were no significant
 (471) CANCIYAL, JAWAHAR AND MOGALEKAR

Tabel-1. Water quality parameters of the experimental tank throughout the experimental period (Mean±SE)

(Each value is a Mean ± SD of three replicate analysis.)

Tabel-2. Proximate composition of experimented feed and control

Tabel-3. Growth data of the freshwater prawn fed with different levels of fucoidan and seaweed powder for
90 days

(Each value is a Mean ± SD of three replicate analysis.)

differences in physico-chemical variables of control and treated
tanks.
Proximate composition of feed: The feed that was given to
the freshwater prawn were at different concentrations of fucoidan
and seaweed. The proximate composition of each were
analysed and is presented in Table-2.
The Growth parameters: At the end of feeding experiment,
the growth performance of control and experimental groups of
prawn displayed variation and it was found to be depending on
the inclusion level of fucoidan and seaweed in the diet. During
the present study, invariably all the diets have enhanced the
growth of the freshwater prawn. The growth increase was found
to be higher in 3% fucoidan incorporated diet and it was found
to be lower in control diet. After the 90 days feeding trial,
prawn weight reached an average size from 0.961905±0.40053
g to 2.281±0.67897 g and 1.3742±0.36 g for 3% fucoidan and
control groups, respectively (Table-3). It was observed that
there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in terms of weight
in different experimental groups. There was not much
significant variation among the control and 1% supplemented
diet with fucoidan. However, at the concentration of 3% fucoidan
diet, a marked higher growth rate was recorded during the
30th and 60th day and when the experiment was further

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 GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF GIANT FRESHWATER PRAWN
Table-4. Growth parameters of the freshwater prawn fed with different levels of fucoidan and seaweed powder for
90 days
(Each value is a Mean ± SD of three replicate analysis.)
prolonged, the weight decreased considerably. The paired t-
test analysis was calculated. It was found that treatments
with 1% fucoidan incorporation were significant at 5% level
except 15th and 30th days. In 2% fucoidan treatment showed
that 1% significant except 15 th day, but all 3% fucoidan
incorporate fed group shows significant at 1 % level. However,
in control group there was no significant difference except 75th
and 90th days of experimental period. The lowest concentration
(1%) of fucoidan incorporated diet fed group exhibited the weight
gain 0.549±0.7274 g, whereas in the highest concentrations
(2% and 3%) of fucoidan incorporated diets fed prawn showed
the weight gain 1.0581±0.6980 g and 1.3191±0.4839 g,
respectively. There were no significant differences (P < 0.05)
in experimental groups in terms of SGR (% per day). The
highest specific growth rate was observed in the prawn fed
with 3% fucoidan diet of 9.5938±0.235% per day. However,
the lowest SGR was observed in the prawn fed with control
diet of 3.97±0.935% per day (Table-4). The experimental group
fed with 3% fucoidan showed good FCR (1.9711±0.6793)
followed by 2% fucoidan and seaweed fed group (2.6462±1.1485
and 4.374±0.9542) compare to the control (without fucoidan).
The present results revealed that inclusion of fucoidan in the
diet exert beneficial effect on growth performance of freshwater
prawn. It is also found that SGR and the FCR also had a
relationship to the fucoidan inclusion level. The mean weight
gain and feed efficiency of prawn fed the fucoidan incorporated
diets was higher than control. Earlier workers have recorded a
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(472)
higher weight gain and SGR in shrimp fed with 500 and 1000
mg/kg fucoidan (derived from U. pinnatifida) supplemented diets
when compared to control diet in Marsupenaeus japonicus7.
The growth enhancement effects of dietary seaweed
polysaccharides might be attributed to the effective nutrient
digestion and assimilation caused by the activation of fixed
phagocytes in the hepatopancreas that secrete hydrolytic
enzymes in the digestive gland8. Similar enhancement of
growth and FCR was observed while incorporating seaweed
by various authors and the reason attributed is due to the
presence of compounds such as aminoacids, digalactosyi-
diacylgiycero, 6-sulfoquinovosyl diacylglycerol and dimethyl
sulfonylpropionate (DMSP) from seaweed extracts9-11. In the
present experiment the weight gain and SGR of prawn fed
with the highest concentrations of fucoidan (3%) were
1.3191±0.4839 g and 9.5938±0.235% per day observed
respectively. It was significantly (P < 0.05) high when compared
with control group. In a similar study conducted by some
workers in P. monodon, fed with fucoidan extracted from
seaweed Undaria pinnatifida resulted the SGR of 7.90-8% /
day12. SGR was significantly high (P < 0.05; t - test) at higher
level of supplementation with the optimum range of 500-2000
milligram fucoidan per kilogram diet. Paired t-test result
confirms significant variations in all the selected parameters
between the treatments. Result significance that addition of
fucoidan enhances the growth and improve the FCR. It has
also been found that by supplementing shrimp diets with brown
 (473) CANCIYAL, JAWAHAR AND MOGALEKAR
seaweed meals, such as of Macrocystis pyrifera (MAC),
Ascophyllum nodosum (ASC) and Sargassum spp., physical
properties of pellets such as integrity, water-holding capacity,
texture and water stability are improved (better feed stability
and lower leaching of nutrients), resulting in higher feed intake
and better growth performance13.
CONCLUSION
The present study conveys a clear message that
supplementation of fucoidan derived from Padina
tetrastromatica under the desired concentration level promotes
growth in M. rosenbergii.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank the Dean i/c, Fisheries College & Research Institute,
Thoothukudi-628 008, Tamil Nadu for his constant support and
facilities provided.
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