Effect of Un-Ionized Ammonia (NH3) on Oreochromis niloticus Physiological Status with a Probiotic Treatment Trial

The possible effects of un-ionized ammonia (UIA-N) on the physiological status of Oreochromis niloticus reprersented by blood indices, total erythrocyte count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, white blood cells count (WBC), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), packed cell volume (PCV), glucose and cortisol as well as survival rate (SR) were examined. Moreover, liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), as well as antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in addition to creatinine, hepatosomatic index (HSI), spleenosomatic index (SSI) were tested. Furthermore, the possibility of using a probiotic (micropan) 5mg/L for remediating the expected ammonia stress was investigated. One hundred and fifty fish were divided into 5 groups, 30 fish each with three replicates. The first was considered as a control group and the remaining groups were subjected to 0.1 mg/L-1 UIA-N, 0.1 mg/L-1 UIA-N plus 5 mg/L probiotics, 0.5 mg/L-1 UIA-N and 0.5 mg/L-1 UIA-N plus 5 mg/L probiotics, respectively. The results showed that all the examined blood indices (except MCV and MCH), HSI and SR had significant reversible relationship (P 0.05) with UIA-N concentration. Controversially, liver enzymes (ALT, AST), antioxidants (GPX and SOD), SSI, glucose, cortisol and creatinine had significant proportional relationship (P 0.05). Meanwhile, probiotic treatments resulted in an obvious relieve of the fish physiological status. It could be concluded that the tested probiotics concentration helped to relieve the harmful effects of UIA-N especially with low UIA-N concentrations, hence prolonging the suitability of the aquacultures water