ScienceAsia 22 (1996): 227-236 |doi: 10.2306/scienceasia1513-1874.1996.22.227

EFFECTS OF STEROID SAPOGENINS ON GROWTH AND MOLTING OF THE GIANT FRESHWATER PRAWN MACROBRACHIUM ROSENBERGII (DE MAN)

PIANSIRI PIYATlRATITIVORAKUL^a,* SOMKIAT PIYATlRATITIVORAKUL^b, PORNSAWAN DITSAYABOOT^c AND WATHITA THIENWICHAI^d

ABSTRACT: Effects of steroid sapogenins on growth and molting of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii were studied in two experiments. In the first experiment, the giant freshwater prawn was injected intramuscularly with 5 different doses (0.0, 0.1, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 g/kg prawn body weight). Sapogenins at 0.1 g/kg prawn body weight generated the best feed conversion rate in this experiment. The administration of 4.0 g/kg prawn body weight gave the best growth rate (O.080.07 g/day), and the shortest molt period (19.3 1.7 days). In the second experiment, four different concentrations of steroid sapogenins (0.0, 1.0, 5.0 and 10.0 g/kg diet) were mixed with the prawn diet. The dose of 10.0 g/kg diet gave the best growth rate (0. 080. 05 g/day) and the shortest molt period (19.01.8 days), compared to the control group, for which the growth rate was 0.050.02 g/day and the molt period was 24.93.1 days. The control groups given no sapogenins manifested the best survival rate in both experiments.

Download PDF

a Department of Zoology, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
b Department of Marine Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
c Thailand Institute of Science and Technology Research, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
d Department of Biology, Naresuan University, Pitsanuloke, Thailand.

Received April 10, 1996