Effect of microencapsulated phenolic compound extracts of maclura tinctoria (L.) steud on growth performance and humoral immunity markers of white leg shrimp (litopenaeus vannamei, boone, 1931) juveniles

Aim of study:: The effect of microencapsulated phenolic compound extracts of Maclura tinctoria (MTBE) on growth performance and humoral immunity markers of the white leg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei juveniles (0.5 ± 0.2 g initial weight) was studied. Area of study: M. tinctoria was collected from Hampolol, Campeche, and Arroyo del Agua, Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico. Material and methods: Three MTBE inclusions (0.5, 1, and 2.5 g MTBE/kg, Purina®) were compared with a control commercial feed (Purina®) during 30 days. Nine phenolic acids, nine flavonols, four dihydro-flavonoids, four flavones, and seven unidentified phenolic compounds were determined fin the MTBE using a Perkin Elmer® HPLC chromatograph and diode array-detection. Main results: The mean concentrations of total phenolic compounds, total flavonoid compounds, and condensed tannins were 198.05 ± 5.59 mg gallic acid equivalent (GAE) g-1 dw, 78.57 ± 1.80 quercetin equivalent g^-1, and 28.32 ± 0.33 mg epicatechin equivalent g^-1, respectively. The ferric reducing antioxidant power and the total antioxidant capacity, respectively, averaged 28.32 mg GAE mL^-1 and 10.9 mg ascorbic acid equivalent mL^-1. Survival, weight gain, and specific growth rate of L. vannamei were similar among the experimental diets. The dietary inclusion of MTBE at 0.5 g/kg of food showed significant higher (p < 0.05) plasma hemocyte lysate protein (1.35 ± 0.055 µg mL^-1), prophenoloxidase (0.47 ± 0.15, Abs. 492 nm), and superoxide anion (O₂.-) activity (0.21 ± 0.07, Abs. 630 nm). Research highlights: The supplementation of MTBE at 0.5 g/kg of food could be considered as a potential alternative additive for L. vannamei diet in the juvenile production, since it improved the response of the humoral immunity markers at post larval life stages, when cultivated shrimp are more susceptible to be infected by pathogens.