Feed Additive Bioboost Forte: Influence on Growth and Muscle Composition of Freshwater Prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man 1879)

The effect of Bioboost forte, a commercial probiotic feed additive, containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Bacillus coagulans, was evaluated in Macrobrachium rosenbergii (de Man 1879) through an experiment of 105 days. Bioboost forte was added at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 mg.kg^-1 to the basal diet having 35% protein, prepared by incorporating fish meal, groundnut oilcake, rice bran, tapioca flour and vitamin-mineral mixture. The test diets were fed to prawn juveniles of average weight 0.9±0.04 g stocked in 25 m³ outdoor cement tanks in triplicate. Addition of the probiotic enhanced body weight gain significantly (P 0.05), the best being with 75 mg. The highest feed conversion efficiency, protein efficiency ratio and RNA : DNA ratio was obtained in this treatment.The highest protein and fat content of prawn muscle as well as amylase and protease activity were also recorded in 75 mg Bioboost forte treated prawns. The results indicate the beneficial effects of adding Bioboost forte to the diet of M. rosenbergii.