Avaliação dos imunoparâmetros do camarão branco Litopenaeus vannamei submetido a banhos de imersão com polissacarídeos sulfatados de Spirulina platensis

Abstract

Aquaculture is the food-producing activity that presented the fastest grow the worldwide and the cultivation of marine shrimps had the highest average growth rate over the past 50 years. The search for growing up the production, obtained through the increase on the density, carrying the animals on condition stress and the appearance of diseases. The use of immunostimulants on aquaculture, like the sulfated polysaccharides (SP), resulted in an enhancement of the animal’s resistance against pathogenic microorganism and stress situations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the SP of Spirulina platensis in post-larvae (PL's) and juvenile of the white shrimp Litopenaeus vannameithrou gh immersion baths. The administration of the SP to L. vannamei’s PL's was performedat concentrations of 0 (control), 50, 100 and 200 mg L-1, two hours before the evaluation of their resistance to the salt stress test. The juveniles of L. vannamei were exposed for three hours to the SP of S. platensisat concentrations of 0 (control), 60, 120 and 240 mg L-1 followed by a hemolymph collection for analysis of the following immune parameters: haemocytes total (THC) and differential (DHC) counts, serum protei n concentration, activity of phenoloxidase (PO), activity of α2-macroglobulin (α2-M) and serum hemagglutinating activity. After the salt stress test it was observed that the PL’s that were exposed to the SP at a concentration of 100 mg L -1 showed a tendency of a higher survival rate but there was not any significant difference between the treatments. Regarding the immune parameters, THC was reduced when the animals were exposed to the SP, while the exposure of shrimp to higher concentrations of PS resulted in normal values of the THC. However, no significant differen cebetween treatments and control. But, the significant difference(p≤0.05) was observed between the treatments that were exposed to PS. The number of granular haemocytes (GH) showed adownward trend in the concentration of 60 mg L -1 and, with increasing concentration of SP, the values of HG also tended to increase, but without significant differences compared to that of the control. However, significant differences were observed between the number of HG at concentrations of 60 and 240 mg L - 1. The PO activity was significantly reducedat a concentration of 60 mg L - 1 which may be related to the low value of THC as well as the high activity of the protease inhibitor α2 -M. The PO activity was again similar to that obtained in control with increasing concentration of SP to 120 mg L -1 and was further reduced in the highest concentration (240mg L-1). The activity of the protease inhibitor α2-M was significantly higher when the shrimps were exposed at concentrations of 60 e 240 mg L -1, while this activity was similar to that of control at a concentration of 120 mg L -1. Thus, there was no need for regulation of the proPO system, when the shrimp were exposed to an intermediate concentration of SP of S. platensis. The administration of SP of S. platensis to shrimps L. vannamei was able to modulate the immune response of these animals in different forms depending on the concentration used. So analyzing the results it is possibl e to conclude that the intermediate concentration of 120 mg L -1 was the most efficient, since it maintained the levels of circulating hemocytes and the basal activities of PO and α 2 -M.