Use of Diet Crossover to Determine the Effects of β‐glucan Supplementation on Immunity and Growth of Nile Tilapia,Oreochromis niloticus

Juvenile Nile tilapia were fed either a basal (control) diet (n = 6 aquaria) or a diet supplemented with 1 g/kg β‐glucan (n = 24 aquaria) for 4 wk. At the end of this period, fish receiving β‐glucan were continued on the same diet (n = 12 aquaria) or switched to the control diet (n = 12 aquaria) for 2 wk. After 6 wk, tilapia continuously fed the β‐glucan supplemented diets had improved weight gain and feed efficiency than those fed the control diet uninterrupted or switched from the β‐glucan diet to the control after 4 wk. Feeding tilapia β‐glucan for 4 wk and then switching to the basal diet for 2 wk caused a significant increase in the respiratory burst of polymorphonuclear lymphocytes (17.77 × 10³ units/1000 white blood cells [WBC]) compared to catfish fed the control diet (13.50 × 10³ units/1000 WBC) or the β‐glucan diet continuously (13.57 × 10³ units/1000 WBC), but other immune parameters were unaffected. Tilapia were then challenged with Streptococcus iniae. The two groups were divided again (n = 6 aquaria) postchallenge and continued on the same diet or switched to the other diet (β‐glucan or control) for another 3 wk. No differences in survival to S. iniae infection occurred between dietary groups.