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Enhancing immunity and antioxidant activity in green mud crab (Scylla paramamosain) by dietary sea lettuce (Ulva rigida)

Wanwisa Sangwong^a,b, Nutt Nuntapong^a,b, Naraid Suanyuk^a,b,*

 
ABSTRACT:     This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with sea lettuce (Ulva rigida) on growth performance, immunity, and antioxidant parameters of green mud crab (Scylla paramamosain). Three replicate groups of green mud crabs were fed for 90 days with fish flesh (FF), commercial shrimp feed (CSF), and four alternative diets supplemented with 0, 5, 10, and 15% powdered sea lettuce (PSL). The results showed that growth was significantly higher and the whole-body proximate composition of mud crabs was significantly different from the other treatment groups when they were fed the FF (p <0.05). However, no significant differences in growth or whole-body proximate composition were observed in mud crabs fed diets containing 0 and 5% PSL in comparison to the CSF (p > 0.05). A second-order polynomial regression fit indicated the optimal PSL level as 3.21%. Hemolymph analysis revealed significantly higher total hemocyte count and hemolymph protein levels in mud crab fed diets containing 5 or 10% PSL compared to FF (p <0.05). Moreover, mud crabs fed diets supplemented with 15% PSL exhibited significantly higher phenoloxidase activity than the other treatment groups (p < 0.05). In addition, dietary PSL enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity in mud crabs, as evidenced by increased catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities, particularly in the 15% PSL group. The present findings indicate that PSL supplementation enhances immunity and antioxidant activity levels in green mud crab.

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* Corresponding author, E-mail: naraid.s@psu.ac.th

Received 25 Apr 2025, Accepted 16 Feb 2026