Effect of different levels of dietary nucleotide on immunity and total protein plasma parameters of Litopenaeus vannamei (Boone, 1931) female brood stock during maturation and eyestalk ablation

In this study, we investigated the effects of different levels of dietary nucleotide (0, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6%) on immunity parameters and total protein plasma of Litopenaeus vannamei female brood stock in four experimental treatments (three replication per treatment) during the maturation period and after eye stalk ablation. Total soluble proteins and immunity parameters such as total haemocyte count and differential haemocyte counts were measured in three phases of the experimental period - the start of feeding, 21 (pre-eyestalk ablation period) and 30 (9 days post-eye stalk ablation) days after the start of feeding. The results showed that total haemocyte count and differential haemocyte count in samples from dietary nucleotide treatments significantly differed (P<0.05) compared with the control group. Analysis of biochemical parameters of heamolymph also showed a significant increase (P<0.05) idn the total protein of all dietary nucleotide treatment groups compared to the control group. Based on the results of the present experiments it could be concluded that the use of 0.6% nucleotide in the female brood stock diet could improve the immunity parameters of Litopenaeus vannamei.