Effects of dietary mangrove leaf powder on growth performance, survival, body and fatty acid composition, and resistance to pH stress in Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei)

This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of mangrove (Avicennia marina) leaf powder (MLP) in the diet of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei). The shrimp were fed with diets containing different amounts of MLP including 0 (control), 25 (MLP25), 50 (MLP50), and 100 (MLP100) g/kg MLP for 13 weeks. The results showed a significant improvement in the growth performance and survival rate of the shrimp fed different levels of MLP compared to the control group (p<0.05). Diets containing up to 50 g/kg MLP revealed significantly higher amounts of lipids and linoleic acid (LA), alpha linolenic acid (ALA) fatty acids compared to those of the control diet, while the carcass of shrimp fed diets containing MLP showed significant higher contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) compared to the control diet, particularly DHA and ARA compared to those of the control group (p<0.05). After 48 hours of exposure to both low (4) and high (10) pH stress, the shrimp fed with different levels of MLP showed higher survival than that of the control group. The results of this study demonstrated the positive effect of dietary MLP on shrimp growth performance and resistance to pH stress.