A 42-day study was conducted to determine the effect of incorporating dietary low molecular weight sodium
alginate (LMWSA), extracted from the brown algae, Undaria pinnatifida and Macrocystis pyritera, and Pediococcus
acidilactici MA 18/5M (PA), Lallemand Animal Nutrition S.A., Blagnac, France, on growth performance, antioxidant
defense activity, intestinal lysozyme gene (LYZ) expression, histo-morphology, microbiota, and digestive
enzymes activity of Asian sea bass (Lates calcarifer) juveniles. Six experimental diets were formulated including:
Diet (1) a basal diet (Control), Diet (2) 5g LMWSA kg??1 diet, Diet (3) 10g LMWSA kg??1 diet, Diet (4)
0.9×10?7CFUPA g??1 diet, Diet (5) 5g LMWSA kg??1 diet 0.9 × 10?7CFUPA g??1 diet, and Diet (6) 10g LMWSA
kg??1 diet 0.9 × 10?7CFUPA g??1 diet were fed to Asian sea bass, L. calcarifer (12.0±0.2g). The results showed
that fish fed PA alone (Diet 4) and the combination of both supplements (Diet 5) had the greatest weight gain.
Fish fed Diet 6 and those fed Diet 1 (Control) had the highest and lowest villus height, apparent villus surface
and crypt depth, respectively. Fish fed diets administered with PA (Diet 4) or synbiotics (Diets 5 and 6) showed
higher total viable and lactic acid bacteria counts than all the other groups. The evaluated digestive enzymes activities
including total protease, trypsin, lipase and ?-amylase remarkably increased by administration of LMWSA
or its combination with PA. Moreover, liver antioxidant enzymes activities including superoxide dismutase, catalase,
and Glutathione S-transferase pronouncedly enhanced following the administration of LMWSA or its combination
with PA. Supplementing diet with blends of 10gkg??1 of LMWSA and PA (Diet 6) more pronouncedly
enhanced c-type and g-types LYZ expression in comparison with those fed 5gkg??1 of LMWSA and PA (Diet 5).
Based on the results obtained, it can be claimed incorporating diet with LMWSA and PA separately or in symbiotic
form had promising results a
