The Potential of Melastoma malabathricum Leaf Extract, Chitosan, and Probiotics in Enhancing the Growth and Survival of Giant Tiger Prawn (Penaeus monodon)

The quality of post-larvae is critical to the prosperous cultivation of Penaeus monodon. This study aims to evaluate the effect of a combination of Melastoma malabathricum leaf extract, chitosan, and probiotics on the growth and survival of P. monodon. Over 30 days, P. monodon postlarvae were treated with various combinations of M. malabathricum leaf extract (50 ppm), chitosan (100 ppm), and probiotics (5 ppm). Growth performance was evaluated through weight gain, absolute length, specific growth rate (SGR), and survival rate. The results showed that the PCH treatment (100 ppm chitosan) yielded the highest growth, with an absolute weight gain of 0.168 g and an absolute length of 3.03 cm. The combination M. malabathricum leaf extract, probiotics and chitosan resulted in the highest survival rate of 67.5%. Water quality parameters remained with regulatory standards throughout the study. These findings corroborate the significant potential of chitosan and M. malabathricum as a bioactive growth enhancer in P. monodon cultivation.