The present study examined the in£uence of leucine metabolite b-hydroxy-b-methylbutyrate (HMB), a natural product HMB, on nonspeci¢c cell-mediated defence mechanisms and protection against enteric redmouth disease (ERM) in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca). b-hydroxy-b-methylbutyrate was fed in a pelletted ration at 50 mg kg À1 of the feed for 8 weeks. The phagocytic ability and potential killing activity of blood and pronephric phagocytes were examined in HMB-and control-fed ¢sh before and after 8 weeks of feeding HMB. Simultaneously, the proliferative response of blood and pronephric lymphocytes stimulated by mitogens concanavaline A and lipopolisaccharide were examined in experimental and control groups. Following 8 weeks of HMB feeding, a challenge test was performed by injecting the ¢sh with live pathogenic bacteria Yersinia ruckeri. b-hydroxy-b-methylbutyrate applied in the diet for 8 weeks prompted a statistically signi¢cant (Po0.05) increase in phagocytic ability and potential killing activity of the blood and pronephric phagocytes and the proliferative response of blood and pronephric lymphocytes. The changes in these mechanisms correlated with protection against Y. ruckeri, the ERM pathogen. The results showed that feeding HMB in-creased the nonspeci¢c cell-mediated defence mechanisms and protection against ERM by reducing cumulative mortality (30%) following the challenge with pathogenic bacteria. Future studies will include determination of optimal doses and protocols of oral application of HMB to maximize the immunomodulatory e¡ects and protection against viral diseases in intensive pikeperch culture.Keywords: b-hydroxy-b-methylbutyrate (HMB), pikeperch, phagocyte activity, proliferative response of lymphocytes, enteric redmouth disease (ERM) E¡ect of feeding the leucine metabolite A K Siwicki et al.Aquaculture Research, 2005, 36, 16^21 E¡ect of feeding the leucine metabolite A K Siwicki et al.