Assessment of the efficacy of Piper betle methanolic extract on water quality and immunity level in Tiger shrimp (Peneaus monodon)

Abstract

The tiger shrimp farming industry is currently dealing with problems associated with infections and disease outbreaks, which cause huge losses in many countries. The current practice of disease prevention often utilizes antimicrobial agents and drugs that eventually pose drawbacks and raise some concerns for animal, human, and environmental health. Therefore, the enhancement of the non-specific immunity of tiger shrimp through the application of immunostimulants derived from medicinal plants has been found to be effective. Piper betles contain numerous bioactive constituents that contribute to a variety of biological actions, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory actions. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of a methanolic extract of Piper betle on water quality and immunity levels in tiger shrimp through a bath immersion approach. Tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) were maintained in the artificial seawater at an optimum condition for shrimp breeding. The bath immersion experiment was conducted by maintaining four groups of tiger shrimp in water containing different concentrations of Piper betle extract (0.00 mg/L, 0.05 mg/L, 0.10 mg/L, and 0.15 mg/L). Water quality for each treatment was monitored on a daily basis based on parameters including pH, salinity, and content of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite. The immunostimulatory effect of Piper betle in tiger shrimp was determined based on growth performance, analysis of haemoglobin levels, and total bacterial load. Analysis of water quality demonstrated significant improvements in pH, salinity, and content of ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite in the treated water incorporated with 0.15 mg/L of Piper betle extract. Growth performance analyses demonstrated enhancements in weight and length gained from the shrimp treated with 0.15 mg/L concentrations of Piper betle extract. The tiger shrimp maintained in water containing 0.15 mg/L concentration of Piper betle extract demonstrated the highest haemocyte count and the lowest bacterial load when compared to other treatment groups. This study demonstrated that the addition of 0.15 mg/L of Piper betle in artificial seawater is an optimum concentration that improves water quality and enhances growth performance and immunity levels in tiger shrimp.