The present research was undertaken with the aim of investigating the effects of dietary supplementation with Persian shallot (Allium hirtifolium) essence in the diet on the growth, intestinal microbiota, biometric indexes, and immune response in Labeotropheus fuelleborni juveniles. For this purpose, four experimental diets containing 0, 0.10, 0.15, and 0.20 mL kg-1 of the essence were prepared and the effects of each of those diets were examined with completely randomized designs over the course of 60 days. The addition of A. hirtifolium to the diets of the fish was not found to have an impact on growth parameters. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in the gastrosomatic index values with different treatments (P>0.05). The hepatosomatic index was highest with the 0.20mL kg-1 A. hirtifolium-supplemented diet (P<0.05). Survival was increased with 0.20mL kg-1 A. hirtifolium treatment in comparison to the control fish (P<0.05). A. hirtifolium essence did not affect the total aerobic bacteria (P>0.05), but the enteric gram-negative bacteria and lactic acid bacteria counts were found to be decreased in the experimental treatments with statistical significance (P<0.05). Values obtained for alternative complement haemolytic activity levels, lysozyme activity levels, total immunoglobulin, and dissolved protein in the skin mucus among fish that received essence were found to be higher in comparison to the control group (P<0.05), while no change was recorded for alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, or alanine aminotraansferase liver enzyme activities (P>0.05). Results revealed that, Allium hirtifolium essence is suggested to obtain survival rate, skin mucus immunity and intestinal microbiota. The maximum level to add to the feed of juvenile L. fuelleborni can be recommended as 0.15-0.20mL kg-1.

Keywords