Optimizing zinc supplementation levels of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed practical type fishmeal‐ and plant‐based diets

Rainbow trout (23.1 ± 0.4 g) were fed either a fishmeal‐ or plant‐based diet supplemented with various levels of zinc (0, 15, 30, 60 or 120 mg kg^?1) for 12 weeks. Trout fed the fishmeal diet had significantly higher weight gain than with the plant‐based diet. Zinc supplementation in the fishmeal diet had no effect on growth performance, suggesting that additional dietary supplementation of zinc is not required. However, in trout fed the plant‐based diet, growth increased significantly up to 30 mg kg^?1 zinc after which growth was not affected. Trout fed the plant‐based diet containing no zinc exhibited severe growth retardation, and in fish fed the 0 and 15 mg kg^?1 zinc diets, cataracts were present. Use of broken‐line quadratic modelling suggests that dietary supplementation of zinc needed to prevent deficiency and promote adequate growth in rainbow trout fed the plant‐based diet in this study was 30.1 mg kg^?1 (80 mg kg^?1 total dietary zinc). This is higher than the NRC (2011, Nutrient Requirements of Fish and Shrimp) dietary recommended level of 15 mg kg^?1 for rainbow trout. Following the NRC recommendation could lead to zinc deficiency in rainbow trout fed a plant‐based diet.     

Erythromycin and florfenicol treatment of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) experimentally infected with Flavobacterium psychrophilum

Flavobacterium psychrophilum is responsible for significant economic losses in rainbow trout aquaculture. Antimicrobial treatment remains the primary means of control; however, there are limited choices available for use. The objectives of the study were therefore to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations for erythromycin and florfenicol in selected F. psychrophilum isolates and to evaluate their clinical treatment efficacy in experimentally infected rainbow trout. All isolates tested had moderate susceptibility to florfenicol and erythromycin except one isolate, which had low susceptibility to erythromycin. Two isolates (one with moderate and one with low susceptibility to erythromycin) were used in an experimental infection trial. Rainbow trout juveniles were injected intraperitoneally with 10⁸ cfu/fish and after mortality had begun, fish were given erythromycin‐ and florfenicol‐medicated feed at a rate of 75 mg kg^?1 day^?1 and 10 mg kg^?1 day^?1 fish body weight, respectively, for 10 consecutive days. The splenic F. psychrophilum load was determined using an rpoC quantitative PCR throughout the 30‐day trial. Relative to antibiotic‐free controls, erythromycin treatment significantly (p < 0.05) reduced mortality of rainbow trout juveniles infected with FPG101, even when treatment was initiated after clinical signs developed.     

Protein and energy nutrition of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) at optimal and elevated temperatures

The digestible protein (DP) and digestible energy (DE) requirements for maintenance and growth of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) were determined using a factorial model at either optimum (15 °C) or elevated temperature (19 °C). Several key parameters of the factorial model were measured using a series of inter‐related studies. The maintenance requirements for DP and DE were 0.10 gDP kg^?0.69 day^?1 (15 °C) and 0.31 gDP kg^?0.78 day^?1 (19 °C), and 34.86 kJDE kg^?0.84 day^?1 (15 °C) and 46.14 kJDE kg^?0.86 day^?1 (19 °C). The total requirements for DP were 0.10 gDP kg^?0.69 day^?1 + 2.14PG (protein gain) (15 °C) and 0.31 gDP kg^?0.78 day^?1 + 1.98PG (19 °C). The total requirements for DE were 36.86 kJDE kg^?0.84 day^?1 + 1.58EG (energy gain) (15 °C) and 46.14 kJDE kg^?0.86 day^?1 + 1.64EG (19 °C). The partial efficiencies for growth were 0.47 (15 °C) and 0.51 (19 °C) for protein, and 0.63 (15 °C) and 0.61 (19 °C) for energy. Nutrient gain was lower at the elevated temperature; however, feed formulation for brook trout should be adjusted to match changes in nutrient requirements at different culture temperatures. The protein and energy requirements model will be useful for developing commercial feeds and feeding charts for brook trout.     

Influence of dietary garlic (Allium sativum) on the antioxidative status of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Oxidative damage by free radicals has been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases. In this study, the antioxidative effect of dietary garlic on rainbow trout was examined. Trout fingerlings were fed on diets containing 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 g garlic powder kg^?1 diet. Serum lipid peroxides and activities of antioxidant enzymes were measured. Serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay showed that garlic consumption that resulted in a significant decrease in lipid peroxidation. The lowest levels of TBARS were observed in fish fed diet supplemented with 30 g kg^?1 garlic. However, higher doses of garlic (40 and 50 g kg^?1 diet) caused no further reduction in serum TBARS. The results showed a significant increase in superoxide dismutase in all of the garlic‐treated groups compared with the control. Ingestion of 10, 20 and 30 g kg^?1 dietary garlic resulted in a significant reduction in the catalase activity compared with all but the 10 g kg^?1 group. There was no significant difference in glutathione peroxidase activity among the different groups. Serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels increased significantly in trout‐fed diets containing 40 and 50 g kg^?1 garlic powder. These results suggest that dietary garlic may improve the antioxidant status of rainbow trout. However, undesirable effects of higher doses of garlic should be considered.     

Effect of ethanolic extract of Zingiber officinale on growth performance and mucosal immune responses in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study was conducted to examine the effect of ethanolic ginger (Zingiber officinale) extract on growth performance and some skin mucus immune parameters in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). A total of 600 rainbow trout fingerling (10.07 ± 0.21 g) were randomly assigned to four groups in triplicate and fed for 45 days with 1, 2.5 and 5 g kg^?1 of ginger extract and with unsupplemented basal diet as the control. The total protein content and lysozyme, alkaline phosphatase and protease activities of skin mucus were investigated following 15, 30 and 45 days of feeding. Results showed that administration of 2.5 and 5 g kg^?1 of ethanolic ginger extract for 45 days improved weight gain, feed utilization efficiency and feed conversion ratio of O. mykiss (P < 0.05). Significantly higher (P < 0.05) skin mucus lysozyme, alkaline phosphatase and protease activity and protein level were observed in the 2.5 and 5 g kg^?1 ginger extract groups on the 30th and 45th day compared to the controls. The findings suggest that ethanolic extract of ginger enhances growth performance and skin mucus immune parameters of rainbow trout.     

Protective effects of a synbiotic against experimental Saprolegnia parasitica infection in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

A combination of probiotics and prebiotics as synbiotics allows assessing their synergistic effects. This study evaluated the effects of a synbiotic supplement on growth performance, haematological parameters and resistance to Saprolegnia parasitica in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) fingerlings. Fish fed a dietary synbiotic in three levels of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 g kg^?1 thrice a day. The fingerlings were challenged with Saprolegnia parasitica after 60 days post feeding and their mortalities recorded up to 15 days. The fingerlings at all three experimental treatments showed significant (P < 0.05) increases in final mean weights and specific growth rates (SGR). The best feed conversion ratio (FCR), feed conversion efficiency (FCE) and maximum survival rate were also obtained by the fish fed 1.0 g synbiotic kg^?1 diet. Furthermore, supplementation with synbiotic significantly increased blood factors at all treatments. After challenges with Saprolegnia parasitica, the synbiotic‐fed groups showed significantly higher survival rates compared with the control group. These results reveal that a dietary synbiotic of 1.0 g kg^?1 fed for 60 days leads to increased growth performance and survival rate as well as improved feeding efficiency in rainbow trout fingerling, rendering them more resistant against infection by Saprolegnia parasitica.     

The degree of carotenoid esterification influences the absorption of astaxanthin in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

The absorption of astaxanthin from diets (30 mg kg^?1 inclusion) supplemented with either unesterified astaxanthin; isolated astaxanthin monoesters, diesters or a cell‐free carotenoid extract from Haematococcus pluvialis were studied in rainbow trout (>200 g). No significant differences (P > 0.05) were recorded in the apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) (≈60–65%) between astaxanthin sources. However, following consumption of a single meal, peak serum astaxanthin levels at 32 h (≈1.0–1.6 μg mL^?1) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in fish fed unesterified astaxanthin and astaxanthin monoester, compared to fish fed astaxanthin diester and the cell free extract. However, no significant differences (P > 0.05) were recorded in serum astaxanthin uptake rates between sources of astaxanthin. Results suggest that the extent of carotenoid esterification negatively influences the peak serum levels of astaxanthin in rainbow trout.     

Citric acid substituted the inclusion of inorganic phosphorus in diet of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of citric acid (CA) supplementation in diet without inorganic phosphorus (P) on growth, muscle and bone composition, proteolytic activities and serum antioxidant property of rainbow trout. Six diets were designed as the negative diet without monocalcium phosphate (MCP) supplementation, the positive diet containing 10 g kg^?1 MCP and CA supplementation diets with 4, 8, 12, 16 g kg^?1 CA supplementation in negative diet, and then were fed to rainbow trout (113.6 g) for 60 days. Results showed that the fish fed 8 g kg^?1 CA, 12 g kg^?1 CA diet had higher weight gain, higher contents of crude ash and P in bone, and lower feed conversion ratio than those of fish fed negative diet (P < 0.05), and showed the similar levels as those of fish fed positive diet (P > 0.05). The proximate composition and P level of muscle were not affected by dietary CA and MCP. The proteolytic activity in intestine, but not in stomach and gastric digesta, was significantly improved by dietary CA and MCP (P < 0.05), when compared with negative control. The activities of serum superoxide dismutase of 12 g kg^?1 CA and 10 g kg^?1 MCP groups were significantly higher, and the malondialdehyde of 8 g kg^?1 CA and 12 CA g kg^?1 groups were significantly lower than those of negative control (P < 0.05). The above results indicated that the supplementation of CA could substitute the inclusion of MCP in rainbow trout diet and the supplementation level was suggested to be 8–12 g kg^?1.     

Effect of dietary kefir on the growth performance,feed utilization and fatty acid profile of juvenile rainbow trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss

A study was conducted to determine the effect of feeding with diets containing kefir on growth performance and fatty acid profile of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Four isonitrogenous (450 g protein kg^?1) and isocaloric (4325 kcal kg^?1) diets were prepared in trout feed to contain 0 (control), 20, 50 and 100 g kg^?1 kefir. Fish, initial weight of 46 g, were randomly distributed into triplicate 520‐L fibreglass tanks in freshwater flow‐through system. Fish were fed at 4% of the body weight thrice a day for 12 weeks. The results indicated that survival rate ranged from 97.14 to 100% without significant difference among treatments (p > .05). Whole‐body moisture and lipid composition were significantly affected by diets containing different levels of kefir (p < .05), but no differences were determined in protein and ash. Furthermore, the fatty acid profile of flesh showed differences among the groups. The percentages of saturated fatty acid in the flesh lipid decreased, while 18:3n‐3 and polyunsaturated fatty acids were increased at higher substitution levels of kefir grain. The present study showed that up to 100 g kg^?1 supplementation of kefir in diets could be improve the fatty acid profile, especially PUFA, in fish flesh without adverse effect on the growth, feed utilization and survival rate of rainbow trout.     

Growth performance and expression of immune‐regulatory genes in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) juveniles fed extruded diets with varying levels of lupin (Lupinus albus), peas (Pisum sativum) and rapeseed (Brassica napus)

Varying levels of lupin (Lupinus albus), peas (Pisum sativum) and rapeseed (Brassica napus) meals were evaluated as partial replacements for fishmeal in extruded diets for rainbow trout, with particular emphasis on the effect on growth performance and the expression of three genes associated with immune response. A series of 10 isonitrogenous (450 g kg^?1 crude protein) and isolipidic (17 g kg^?1 crude lipid) diets were formulated to contain different levels of lupin (150 g kg^?1, 250 g kg^?1 and 350 g kg^?1), rapeseed cake (100 g kg^?1, 200 g kg^?1 and 300 g kg^?1) and pea (50 g kg^?1, 150 g kg^?1 and 250 g kg^?1) meals. The control diet was prepared with fish meal as the sole source of protein. Triplicate groups of fish (37.08 ± 3.58 g) were assigned to each experimental diet. The feeding experiment was conducted for 9 weeks at 14.3 ± 0.4 °C. The fish were hand fed three times per day, 6 days per week to apparent satiation level. Growth performance, feed utilization and immunological response were significantly affected by the type of plant protein as well as level of inclusion. Hepatosomatic index (HSI) increased in all groups of fish fed diets with pea and rapeseed cake meal. Dietary inclusion of lupin did not affect the expression of Mx‐1 gene. Our results suggest that fish meal can be replaced by lupin in the diet of rainbow trout without any apparent adverse effects on key innate immunological genes.     

Cortisol and testosterone accumulation in a low pH recirculating aquaculture system for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Steroids accumulate in recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), although explanatory factors for such accumulation are still poorly explored. This study investigated the effect of water exchange rate and pH in six replicated RAS on the concentration of the stress hormone cortisol in rainbow trout blood plasma and in the holding water and of the sex steroids testosterone, 11‐ketotestosterone (11‐KT) and 17,20β‐dihydroxypregn‐4‐en‐3‐one (17,20β‐P) over a 70‐day experimental period. Three combinations of water exchange rate and pH were used each treatment, with two replications: (i) high water exchange rate (±1700 L kg^?1 feed) and neutral pH (±7.3), (ii) low water exchange rate (±500 L kg^?1 feed) and neutral pH (±7.3) and (iii) low water exchange rate (±500 L kg^?1 feed) and low pH (±5.8). Plasma cortisol concentrations at day 70 were higher (24.4 ± 9.5 ng mL^?1) for fish kept at low pH when compared to fish kept at neutral pH (12.0 ± 0.1 and 8.7 ± 0.2 ng mL^?1). Water cortisol and testosterone concentrations at day 35 were higher at low pH than at neutral pH, whereas water 11‐KT and 17,20β‐P did not differ among treatments. At day 70, there were no significant differences between low and high pH. These results demonstrate that low pH contributes to increased plasma cortisol concentrations and to its accumulation in water, possibly indicating a stress response to low pH. The higher concentration of testosterone but not of the other sex hormones point to unspecified reproductive effects that need further investigation.     

Effect of dietary bovine lactoferrin on growth,haematology and non‐specific immune response in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dietary lactoferrin (Lf) on growth, haematology and non‐specific immune response of rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum). Fish were fed an experimental diet containing 0 (as control), 50, 100, 200 and 400 mg Lf kg^?1 diet twice daily for 8 weeks and sampled at 2, 4, 6 (immune function and growth), and 8 weeks (immune function, haematology and growth). Statistical analyses revealed no significant effects of dietary Lf on growth performance (specific growth rate, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, feed intake and condition factor) or haematological parameters (red and white blood cell count, haemoglobin, haematocrit, serum iron and total iron binding capacity [TIBC]). Among the serum non‐specific immune parameters, lysozyme activity increased significantly in fish fed 100, 200, or 400 mg Lf kg^?1 feed for 8 weeks, whereas haemolytic complement activity increased in fish fed 100 and 400 mg Lf kg^?1 diet after 6 weeks. The antiprotease activity increased in groups fed 100, 200 or 400 mg Lf kg^?1 diet after 8 weeks. However, no significant effect was observed on serum peroxidase level. It can be concluded that feeding of rainbow trout on the diet supplemented with 100 mg kg^?1 or higher for 8 weeks enhances the non‐specific immune response.     

Preliminary study on effects of methionine hydroxy analog and taurine supplementation in a soy protein concentrate‐based diet on the biological performance and amino acid composition of rainbow trout [Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)]

A feeding trial was conducted on the effects of methionine hydroxy analog (MHA) and taurine supplementation in diets with high levels of soy protein concentrate (SPC) on the growth performance and amino acid composition of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) comparing with fish meal based diet. The control diet had 520 g kg^?1 fish meal. In the methionine deficient diets (5.1 g kg^?1), fish meal was replaced by 490 g kg^?1 of the SPC in the SPC49 diet. The SPC49 diet was supplemented with either MHA (6 g kg^?1) only or a combination of MHA and taurine (2 g kg^?1). Fish were fed isoproteic (460 g kg^?1) and isolipidic (130 g kg^?1) diets for 12 weeks. Growth performance (i.e. weight, feed conversion ratio, and thermal‐unit growth coefficient) was inferior in fish fed the SPC49 diet. MHA supplementation improved growth performance (P < 0.05). No difference was observed when taurine was added to the SPC49 and MHA diet (P > 0.05). Whole‐body taurine contents increased with taurine supplementation, whereas plasma methionine increased with MHA supplementation (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the substitution of fish meal with SPC supplemented with MHA did not negatively impact growth, and the addition of taurine did not improve growth performance in rainbow trout.     

Effects of dietary nucleotides on the antioxidant status and serum lipids of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

An 8‐week feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary nucleotides (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 g kg^?1) on serum antioxidative biomarkers and lipid contents of rainbow trout fingerlings. The serum triglycerides and low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐C levels were significantly decreased in fish fed diets containing 1.5 and 2 g kg^?1, whereas serum high‐density lipoprotein (HDL)‐C was higher in trout receiving diets with those levels of nucleotides. A significant decrease in thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentration was observed in groups receiving 1.5 or 2 g kg^?1 of dietary nucleotides in comparison with control group (?32% and ?27%, respectively). A significant decrease was observed in catalase and serum glutathione peroxidase activity in trout fed 1.5 and 2 g kg^?1 dietary nucleotides compare with other groups. There were no significant changes in serum superoxide dismutase activity among the experimental groups. In conclusion, these results suggest that dietary nucleotides may reduce lipid peroxidation by increasing the levels of antioxidant lipoprotein, HDL‐C, and decreasing the LDL‐C, the main substrate of lipid peroxidation.     

Growth performance,nutrient digestibility and lipase activity in juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fed fat powder in diet containing emulsifiers (cholic acid and Tween‐80)

This research was conducted to investigate the effects of two dietary emulsifiers on nutrient digestibility and lipase activity in rainbow trout (Onchorhyncus mykiss). A basal rainbow trout diet containing fat powder supplemented with 10 and 5 g kg^?1 of cholic acid, and 20 and 40 g kg^?1 of Tween‐80. Control diet contained no emulsifiers with fat powder was replaced by fish oil. Each diet was randomly assigned to 1,500‐L tanks in triplicate. Juvenile rainbow trout with an initial weight of 27.32 ± 2.03 g were randomly distributed in the experimental tanks. The results showed that growth parameters did not change by the addition of the two emulsifiers (p > .05). Total triglyceride content was significantly higher in control fish fed diet containing fish oil (p < .05), while serum cholesterol content showed no significant differences among treatments (p > .05). Control diet resulted in a higher fat digestibility than those of other experimental diets. However, protein and ash digestibilities in diet containing emulsifier were higher than those of the control diet. Control group showed the lowest lipase activity, whereas 20 g kg^?1 Tween‐80 diet caused the highest lipase activity among treatments (p < .05). In conclusion, it seems that a higher lipase activity induced by the emulsifiers could not compensate for the negative impacts of fat powder on the experimental diets.     

The effects of Spirulina platensis meal on proximate composition,fatty acid profile and lipid peroxidation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) muscle

This study evaluated the effects of diets containing 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 g kg^?1 Spirulina platensis on proximate composition, fatty acid profile and lipid peroxidation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Supplementation of S. platensis did not change moisture and protein contents, but fish fed 50 and 100 g kg^?1 S. platensis had lower muscle lipid content than those fed control diet (P < 0.05). Fish fed 100 g kg^?1 of S. platensis contained lower percentages of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acid and a higher percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acid than those fed control diet (P < 0.05). The n‐3/n‐6 ratio of the fatty acid increased and muscle atherogenic and thrombogenic indices were significantly decreased as the dietary supplement of S. platensis increased. Furthermore, lipid peroxidation of the fillet significantly decreased with increasing dietary S. platensis at 4 °C and at ?20 °C (P < 0.05). The results of this study show that supplementation of S. platensis to the diet improves muscle quality of the rainbow trout.     

Effects of supplemental dietary l‐carnitine and ractopamine on the performance of juvenile rainbow trout,Oncorhynchus mykiss

This study was carried out to investigate a possible protein‐sparing action of l ‐carnitine and ractopamine in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss. An 8‐week feeding trial was carried out to evaluate the effects of supplementation of three levels of l ‐carnitine (0, 1 and 2 g kg^?1) and two levels of ractopamine (0 and 10 mg kg^?1) on growth performance, fillet fatty acid compositions and blood biochemical parameters in a 3 × 2 factorial experimental design. Ractopamine and 1 g kg^?1 carnitine improved the specific growth rate (1.03% and 1.05% day^?1), feed conversion ratio (FCR, 1.3 and 1.29), protein efficiency ratio (PER, 1.88 and 1.85) of fish and crude protein (73.5 and 73.8) content of fish fillet. l ‐carnitine and ractopamine increased the levels of albumin, total protein and globulin in the serum of fish. Apart from eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, other fatty acids of fish fillet were increased by ractopamine, while total saturated fatty acids were almost intact. However, the total n‐3 poly unsaturated fatty acids were reduced by l ‐carnitine supplementation (P<0.05). The present study showed that 1 g kg^?1l ‐carnitine and 10 mg kg^?1 ractopamine each can improve the performance of rainbow trout and their combination in diet could enhance the protein level and change the fatty acids profile in fillet muscle.     

Immunomodulation of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) fry by bath exposure to a β‐glucan from Euglena gracilis

Early developmental stages of fish mostly depend on innate immune factors for their protection. Augmenting these factors by application of different immunostimulatory substances may be beneficial for rearing and survival of the early life stages of fish. Bath administration of stimulants leads to a uniform exposure of fish independent of feed intake and reduces the individual handling. The present study demonstrates the immunostimulatory effect of β‐glucan (bath exposure) in rainbow trout fry at different dosages and exposure time. Rainbow trout fry (avg. wt. 770 mg; 87 days post hatch) were exposed to three different concentrations of β‐glucan (10, 100 and 1000 μg mL^?1) by bath exposure for 1 and 24 h. Expression of immune related genes from pooled internal organ samples of individual fish were analysed using a real time qPCR assay. Expression of complement factors (C3 and factor B) and acute phase proteins (hepcidin, precerebellin and transferrin) was significantly up‐regulated after 24 h bath stimulation with β‐glucan (100 μg mL^?1). These innate immune factors may play a vital role in clearance of pathogens. The expression of most of genes showed both a dose‐ and time‐dependent response. A medium dose (100 μg mL^?1) induced a significant increase in expression of complement factors and acute phase proteins mainly at 24 h exposure, whereas the highest dose of β‐glucan (1000 μg mL^?1) down‐regulated the expression of most of the studied genes. The result from the present study indicates that β‐glucan bath exposure could be applied for enhancing the innate immune factors even in fry.     

Can heat‐killed Gordonia bronchialis enhance growth and immunity in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)?

In this study, the efficacy of heat‐killed Gordonia bronchialis on growth performance, immune system and gastrointestinal structure in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) was evaluated. Fish (mean weight 30 g) were fed basal diet (control), or treatment diets containing 2.48 × 10⁸ (low dose) or 1.24 × 10⁹ (high dose) cells kg^?1 feed of heat‐killed G. bronchialis on a pulse basis (5 days on treatment diet; 10 days on basal diet) for 95 days. On days 95 and 105, some of the fish were sampled for analysis of mentioned parameters. On days 110 and 120, the remaining fish were injected intraperitoneally with a 20 mL L^?1 suspension of chicken red blood cells. Results showed that growth performance was significantly enhanced in both treatment groups compared with the control group. Serum complement and lysozyme activities and hemagglutination antibody titre were higher in both treatment groups compared with the control group. The length of the intestinal and pyloric caeca folds was increased in the high‐dose group. Meanwhile, the number of goblet cells was increased in both treatment groups. This study suggests that heat‐killed G. bronchialis has the potential to enhance growth, immunological parameters and the gastrointestinal structure in rainbow trout.