Abstract:The aim of the study was to test the influence of baicalin on immune enzymes and detoxification metabolism of shrimp Fenneropenaeus chinensis. Four treatments were designed with different concentrations of baicalin (0, 50, 100, 150 mg/kg) mixed with the raw diet, and the diets were orally fed to healthy F. chinensis. The activities of acid phosphatase (ACP), catalase (CAT), induced nitric oxide synthase (INOS), lysozyme (LSZ), superoxide dismutase (SOD) in haemolymph, hepatopancreas, and muscle were assayed on days 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11. The data indicated that activities of ACP, INOS, SOD in the 100mg/kg and 150 mg/kg treatments increased significantly (P<0.05) compared to the control level after feeding, and achieved the highest level in three days. All activities in the 50mg/kg treatment were not significant higher than those in the control (P>0.05), while increase of activities of LSZ in heamolymph were highly significant (P<0.01) in the 50, 100 and 150mg/kg treatments compared to the control level at the same period. The activities of (ACP and CAT changed most greatly in hepatopancreas, followed by muscle and hemolymph. The activities of INOS, LSZ, SOD changed most greatly in hemolymph, followed by muscle and hepatopancreas. The middle level treatment and high level treatment reduced significantly (P<0.05) below the control level. Results of the infected test showed that the artificial infection with V. anguillarum caused mortality in all groups, but the mortality of the control group was the highest and the mortality of the medium dose was the lowest. The baicalin elevated the protective rate of F. chinensis infected with V. anguillarum. The results showed that baicalin could regulate the immune system of F. chinensis significantly, enhance non-specific immune function and disease resistance, and depress the susceptivity of F. chinensis effectively. All these results would provide a theoretical basis for the preparation of compound Chinese herbal medicine.
