ACHYRANTHES ASPERA ENHANCES THE EFFICIENCY OF ANTIGEN CLEARANCE AND DISEASE RESISTANCE IN FISHES

Abstract

Labeo rohita (200 ± 27 g) were fed with the experimental diet containing seeds of Achyranthes aspera, and control groups were fed with normal diet without A. aspera. After 4 weeks of feeding, fishes were intraperitoneally injected with bovine serum albumin (BSA). Spleen was sampled on day-14 after BSA administration and antigen clearance was determined by immuno-electron microscopy. The results indicated that fish treated with A. aspera has efficiency cleared the injected antigen from the system. In following experiment, after feeding for 4 weeks, L. rohita fingerlings (5 ± 0.7 g) were immunized with heat-killed Aeromonas hydrophila, a bacterial pathogen. Two weeks later L. rohita were experimentally infected with live A. hydrophila. High survival rate was observed in A. aspera treated group (71%) than the control group (22%). Results indicate that A. aspera stimulates immunity, which efficiently cleared the injected antigen and thereby increased the disease resistance in L. rohita.