effects of pediococcus pentosaceus as a probiotic on intestinal microbiota and body composition of siberian sturgeon, acipenser baerii brandt, 1869

an eight-week experiment was carried out to determine the effects of dietary pediococcus pentosaceus as probiotic on the body composition and gut microbiota of siberian sturgeon, acipenser baerii . a total of 180 fish with mean body weight of 143±0.01g were randomly distributed into 12 200l fiberglass tanks as four treatments with three replicates, including groups fed with diet containing 2×10 7 , 2×10 8 and 2×10 9 cfu g -1 of p. pentosaceus and probiotic-free as control group. body composition of treatment groups was not influenced by p. pentosaceus except for fat and moisture. the bacteria had a significant colonization in the intestine of fish fed with supplemented diet with p. pentosaceus . high level of acid lactic bacterial load was found in the treatment fed with highest amount of the probiotic i.e. 2×10 9 cfu g -1 . the results showed that application of p. pentosaceus has positive effect on the body composition and intestinal microflora of the a. baerii .