Effect of Injected Astaxanthin on Survival, Antioxidant Capacity, And Immune Response of the Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium Rosenbergii (De Man, 1879) Challenged with Lactococcus Garvieae (Report‪)‬

ABSTRACT This study evaluated the effects of astaxanthin (AX) injected at 1.34 nmol/g body weight on survival, antioxidant capacity, total hemocyte count, and hepatopancreas AX content of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii (De Man 1879) challenged with Lactococcus garvieae. Injected AX significantly increased the survival of M. rosenbergii challenged with L. garvieae (P [less than or equal to] 0.05) and enhanced to some extent its antioxidant capacity (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase) and total hemocyte count. AX-injected M. rosenbergii yielded significantly higher hepatopancreas AX content compared with non-AX-injected control. Overall results of this study indicate that AX plays an important role in enhancing M. rosenbergii resistance against L. garvieae. KEY WORDS: glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase, total hemocyte count, hepatopancreas, prawn, Macrobrachium, Lactocoecus