Abstract
The goal of the present research was to assess how two immunomodulators, raffinose and hesperidin alone or in combination, affected the innate immune system and growth performance of common carp. Fish with an initial weight of 33.94 ± 1.45 g were fed the following experimental diets for 56 days: control (without supplementation, T1), 2.0 g kg− 1 raffinose (T2), 150 mg kg− 1 hesperidin (T3), and 2.0 g kg− 1 raffinose + 150 mg kg− 1 hesperidin (T4). Fish growth and feed efficiency, serum immunological parameters and hematological parameters were determined and compared with control after 56 days of feeding. The results of end feeding trial showed, Carp fed in combination with raffinose + hesperidin and control diets had the highest (62.63 ± 2.41) and the lowest (52.88 ± 1.10) final body weight, respectively. The highest growth performance, feed efficiency, total leukocyte counts (WBC), the non-specific humoral (lysozyme, total immunoglobulin, total protein, ACH50 and antioxidant status), and cellular (phagocytic capacity and respiratory burst activity) responses and other hematological parameters were noticed in fish fed mixture raffinose and hesperidin (P < 0.05). Feeding fish with supplemented diets (single or in combination) significantly showed enhanced antioxidant status: catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in serum, meanwhile, values of antioxidant status enhanced by dietary immunostimulants administration in comparison with the control (P < 0.05). Overall, the combination of 2.0 g kg− 1 raffinose with 150 mg kg− 1 hesperidin is recommended for improving growth performance and immunological responses of Cyprinus carpio.