Evaluation of the wound healing potential of the diets fortified with<i>Lactobacillus fermentum</i>,<i>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</i>and their combination in<i>Heterobranchus bidorsalis</i>juveniles

Abstract

Reports on the wound healing potential of probiotics commonly applied in aquaculture are scanty in literature. Hence, the wound healing potential of diets fortified with Lactobacillus fermentum, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and their combination in Heterobranchus bidorsalis juveniles was evaluated. Ten (10) experimental fish were lacerated (1 cm long and deep) to create artificial wounds. Wound closures were measured on the 4th, 7th, 9th, 12th and the 14th day of the experiment. Histological changes in wound areas were also examined. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at α0.05. The study revealed that healing percentages and daily healing rates of wounds in lateral and caudal areas of the fish fed on the diet fortified with S. cerevisiae (especially at serial dilution of (102 cfu/mL)) were higher. The histological changes also revealed that the healing process started on day 4 with the extensive granulation tissue formation and fusion of epidermis, while complete healing was achieved on day 12 in the fish fed on the diet fortified with S. cerevisiae and on day 14 in other fish, with multiple epidermal cell layers and the fibrous connective tissue proliferation. Hence, the enrichment of fish diets with S. cerevisiae at serial dilution of (102 cfu/mL) could significantly aid in reducing mortality associated with wound infection in fish farming.