Effect of dietary supplementation with Echinacea purpurea on vaccine efficacy against infection with Flavobacterium columnare in zebrafish (Danio rerio)

• Published in: Polish journal of veterinary sciences Vol. 17; no. 4; pp. 583 - 586
• Main Authors: Guz, L, Puk, K, Walczak, N, Oniszczuk, T, Oniszczuk, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Polish Academy of Sciences, Committee of Veterinary Sciences 01.12.2014
• Subjects: Animal Feed - analysis; Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Animals; Bacterial Vaccines - immunology; Diet - veterinary; Dietary Supplements; Echinacea - chemistry; Fish Diseases - microbiology; Fish Diseases - prevention & control; Flavobacteriaceae Infections - prevention & control; Flavobacterium - immunology; Zebrafish
• ISSN: 1505-1773; 2300-2557
• DOI: 10.2478/pjvs-2014-0087

The effect of dietary Echinacea purpurea (EP) on the response of zebrafish (Danio rerio) to a Flavobacterium columnare vaccine was investigated. Two hundred D. rerio with an average weight of 290 ± 40 g were selected and fed different levels of E. purpurea (5 g kg(-1) diet--group 1, 10 g kg(-1) diet--group 2, 20 g kg(-1) diet--group 3, 30 g kg(-1) diet--group 4, and 0 g kg(-1) diet--group 5). Experimental feeding was begun 3 weeks prior to bath immunization and continued until the end of the experiment. Twenty-eight days after immunization the fish were challenged by bath immersion with F. columnare at a concentration of 1 x 10(6) CFU/ml. The relative percent survival of the experimental groups (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5) was 5.0, 6.0, 30.0, 36.0 and 5.0, respectively. In conclusion, diet supplementation with E. purpurea may effectively enhance the response of zebrafish to a F. columnare vaccine.