Immunostimulant Species Administration and dose Length of administ-ration Mechanism of action/results References β-1,3 glucans Carp i.p; 2-10 mg kg-1 BW 12 days ↑ phagocytic activity of  kidney leucocytes [152]   Channel catfish Injected; 50 and 70 μg fish-1 (100 g BW) suspended in 0.2 ml PBS 2 weeks ↑ phagocytic, bacterial activity and serum antibody concentration [153]   Marron 0.08, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.8 % supplementations 12 weeks ↑ haemocyte count → on physiological parameters [154] β-glucan Atlantic halibut (larvae) Immersion (25 mg l-1) 5 days Absorbed laminaran [155]   Carp i.p (10 mg kg-1) 15 days ↑ superoxide dismutase and catalase activities [156]   Coho i.p (5 and 15 mg kg-1) 36 days → immune response [157]   Trout Oral 4 weeks ↑ stress resistance [158]   Turbot Oral (2 g kg-1) 5 weeks ↑ leukocyte number [159]   Trout i.p 18 days ↑ resistance to IHNV [39]   Trout Oral (0, 0.2 and 0.4 %) 37 days ↓ expression of genes involved In acute inflammation reaction [160]   Sea bass Oral (2% wet body weight) 2 weeks ↑ complement activation [161]   Sea bass Oral (0.1%) 60 days ↑ serum complement activity, serum lysozyme, gill and liver HSP [162]   Sea bass Oral (250, 500, 1,000 ppm) 25 days ↑ respiratory burst activity  of head kidney macrophages [163]   Snapper Oral (10g kg-1) 84 days ↑ macrophage superoxide Anion production and growth → complement activity [164]   Tilapia and Japanese eels i.p (10 mg kg-1) 2 days ↑ lysozyme activity, phagocytic activities in anterior kidney and peripheral blood phagocytes and classical complement path- way [165]   Nile tilapia Oral 6 weeks ↑ stress resistance [166]   Red drum Oral (2% of diet) 6 weeks → on stress resistance [124]   Flounder Oral (3 g kg-1) n.i ↑ respiratory burst activity [167]   Channel catfish Oral (1g/kg) 4 and 6 weeks → growth performance hematology or immune function Some improvement in stress resistance [168]   Climbing perch Β-glucan suspension (0, 5, 10 15 mg l-1) 7 days ↑ lysozyme and bactericidal activities and survival of spawns immersed in 15 mg l-1 when challenged with A. hydrophila [169]   American White shrimp Immersed 120 hours ↑ total haemocyte counts and soluble haemocyte protein after 48-120 hours [170]   Shrimp Oral (0.2% w/w) 7 days ↑ prophenoloxidase and reactive oxygen intern- mediate activity [171]   White shrimp Oral (2000 mg kg-1) 6 weeks ↑ total haemocyte counts, phenoloxidase, superoxide anion and superoxide dismu- tase until day 27 [172]   Carpet shell clam i.v (0.05, 0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mg ml-1) Different sampling times ↑ nitric oxide production Hemolymph treated with β-glucan inhibited growth of Vibrio algynolyticus, Vibriosplendidus and Escherichiacoli [173]   Scallop i.p 7 days ↑six enzymes in haemocytes. β-glucan-induced activation was stronger at 15˚C than 25˚C . [174] β-glucan + mannose Snapper Oral (0.1-1.0% w/w) n.i in vitro study ↑ macrophage activation [175] β-glucan + LPS Salmon 10 μg ml-1 n.i in vitro study ↑ lysozyme activity [176] β-1,3 and β-1,6 glucans Sea urchin eggs 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, 0.25, 0.5 and 1.0 mg ml-1 Incubation ↑ survival of embryos [177] β-1,3 and β-1,6 inked yeast glucan (M-glucan) Salmon Injected i.p (1 ml of 0.5% (w/v) M-glucan in 0.9% saline) 22 days ↑ macrophage and neutrophil numbers, head kidney macrophages and ability to kill A. salmonicida [178]   Salmon 0, 500 and 1000 mg kg-1 70 days → no detrimental effect ↓lice- infected fish when the fish were fed 14 % soybean meal + 14 % sunflower and yeast extract [179]   Trout Injected i.p 1 ml of 1% M-glucan suspension 3 weeks   ↑macrophages ability to kill A. salmonicida and serum lysozyme activity [180] β-1,3 glucan from Schizophyllum commune Black tiger shrimp Oral (0 and 2 g kg-1) 40 days ↑ survival, haemocyte activity, cell adhesion and superoxide anion production [181] Glucan (barley extract (Sigma) Trout Injected i.p. 100 μg glucan dissolved in PBS. Immersed the concentration of 100 μg ml-1 glucan for 30 min 10 days ↑ phagocytic activity and numbers of circulatory glass-adherent cells [182] Yeast glucan Salmon i.p 20 days ↑ resistance to V. anguillarum, V. salmonicida and Y. rückeri [183]   Salmon i.p 4 weeks ↑ complement and lysozyme activity [184]   Salmon i.p (0.5 mg/fish) 43 weeks ↑ survival against A. salmonicida infection [185]   Salmon i.p 7 weeks ↑ antibody → resistance to A. salmonicida [186]   Salmon Oral and anal (150 mg kg-1) 2 days ↑ acid phosphatase [187]   Trout i.p n.i ↑ lysozyme activity [188]   Trout Diet (0, 0.125 and 0.25 g k-1) 4 + 4 weeks 4 weeks ↑ survival and growth 4 – 8 weeks ↑ survival (0.25 g k-1) → feed conversion [189]   Indian major carp   15 + 30 days ↑ superoxide anion, in vitro phagocytic activity and nitrite production of leucytes (10 days) → heamatocrit [190]   Indian major carp and rohu Diet (0 and 5 g kg-1) 15 + 20 days ↑ phagocytosis and prolifer- ation of lymphocytes and oxidative radical and nitrate production [191]   Pacu Diet (2.5 and 5 %) 86 days ↑ feed efficiency → plasma glucose and cortisol [192]   Fathead minnows Diet (10 g kg-1) 14 days ↑ degranulation of primary granules in fish neutrophils [193]   Shrimp immersion 43 days ↑ growth at 0.5; 1 and 2 mg ml-1, but not at 0.25 mg ml-1 ↑ phenoloxidase activity and resistance to V. vulnificus [194]   Black tiger shrimp Oral (0.2 %) 3 days ↑ phenoloxidase, no. of haemocytes and bacterial killing activity against Vibrio harveyi [195]   Pacific white shrimp Oral (0, 1 and 2 g kg-1) 4 weeks ↑ total haemocyte – and granular haemocyte counts → growth [196] Yeast glucan + Vitamin C Trout Diets containing yeast glucan and vitamin C at 150, 1,000 and 4,000 p.p.m 4 weeks ↑ alternative pathway of complement – and macrophage activity and specific Ab response following vaccination with Y. ruckeri [197] Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sea bass Diet (0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 %) 12 weeks ↑ feed conversion (10, 20 and 30 %), N retention (% N intake) → growth and energy retention (% E intake) [198]   Sea bream 0 and 10g kg-1 6 weeks ↑ serum peroxidases and complement activity [199]   Sea bream In vitro experiment, head kidney leucocytes 0 – 30 min ↑ degranulation [200]   Sea bream 0, 1, 5 and 10g kg-1 6 weeks ↑ total serum IgM level [201]   Sea bream In vitro experiment, blood leucocytes 30 min ↑ inhibition of the phagocytic ability [202]   Sea bream 0, 11.5 and 23 % (Y2) 10 weeks ↑ growth, feed intake, lipid content (Y2) and arginase activity → body composition [203]   Gilthead seabream Lyophilised S. cerevisiae (0, 1, 5 or 10g kg-1) 4 weeks ↑ cellular parameters [204]   Gilthead seabream S. cerevisiae (0, 10, and 20 %) (BDY protein) instead of fish meal 12 weeks → growth, alkaline phospha-tase, blood urea Nitrogen, serum protein, cholesterol, triglyceride, albumin and amylase ↓ plasma glucose (10 % BDY) [205]   Nile tilapia Diet (0 and 0.1 %) 9 weeks ↑growth and feed efficiency [206]   Nile tilapia S. cerevisiae(0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 %) (BDY protein) instead of soy bean meal (SBM) protein 6 weeks + 5 days → growth and feed utilization when 50 % BDY protein instead of SBM protein [207]   Nile tilapia S. cerevisiae(0, 25, 50, 75 and 100 %) (BDY protein) instead of soy bean meal (SBM) protein 122 days → growth and feed utilization when 25 % BDY protein instead of SBM protein [208]   Hybrid striped bass Diet (0, 1, 2 and 4 %) 8 weeks ↑growth and feed efficiency [209]   Hybrid striped bass Diet (0, 1 and 2 %) 7 weeks (trial 1) and 4 weeks (trial 2) → growth (trial 1) Trial 2 ↑ resistance against Streptococcus iniae and extra-cellular superoxide anion → growth and feed efficiency [210]   Hybrid striped bass Diet (0, 1 and 2 %) 16 and 21 weeks ↑growth, feed efficiency, serum peroxidase and extracellular superoxide anion of head kidney macrophages (16 weeks) → resistance against mycobacterial infection [211]   Pacu S. cerevisiae (0, 30, 35, 50, 70 and 100 %) (BDY protein) instead of fish meal 54 days ↑growth and feed utilization (until 50 % replacement). Protein retention was higher in fish fed 35 and 50 5 replace- ment → protein digestibility [212]   Galilee tilapia 0 and 10g kg-1 6 weeks ↑growth, feed utilization and resistance against waterborne Cu toxicity [213]   Beluga Diet (0, 1 and 2 %) 6 weeks 2 % inclusion ↑final weight, weight gain, SGR and FCR ↑ autochthonous LAB levels →survival rate, haematological and serum biochemical parameters resist [97] Symbols represent an increase (↑) in the specified response; no change (→); decrease (↓); n.i – no information given. Salmon – Atlantic salmon; Trout – rainbow trout; Coho – Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Turbot – Scophthalmus maximus; Sea bass - Dicentrachus labrax, Snapper – pink snapper (Pagrus auratus); Flounder – Japanese flounder (Paralychthis olivaceus), Nile tilapia - Oreochromis niloticus; Red drum - Sciaenops ocellatus; Channel catfish - Ictalurus punctatus ROS – reactive oxygen species; IHNV – infectious hematopoietic necrosis virus

Table 1: Glucans as immunostimulants in fish, shrimp and scallop.