Evaluation of carcass composition, serum biochemical indices and intestinal histology in clarias gariepinus fed sesame seed meal as replacer for soybean meal

Abstract

The study examined the whole body composition, biochemical parameters and intestinal histology of C. gariepinus fed Sesame seed meal (SSM). One hundred and fifty healthy C. gariepinus juveniles of mean weight 34.35 ± 3.05g were used in the study. Proximate analyses of the experimental diets and whole body composition of the fish was conducted using the standard method. Selected biochemical parameters of the experimental fish was also analyses using a commercial kit, VetTest Biochemical Analyzer (Idexx Lab., USA). The intestine of the fish were removed, fixed, stained, sectioned and viewed using standard procedure. The result of proximate composition of the experimental diets revealed that protein decrease from 53.52 to 50.06% while lipid content increase from 5.41 to 7.10% as the replacement of SBM with SSM increased in the diets. The whole body composition also showed the highest protein level of 18.32% and the least lipid level of 4.05% recorded in fish fed the control diet (0% SSM). The levels of protein and lipid in both the experimental diets and whole body composition of C. gariepinus were not significant (p>0.05). Elevated levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), 53.49 – 59.29U/L, 65.38 – 73.26U/L and 73.67 – 77.75U/L respectively were recorded although not statistically significant (p> 0.05). Serum total protein (45.19 – 42.99mg/dL) and cholesterol (59.63 – 57.54mg/dL) decreased in fish fed increased SSM diets. Slight increase in glucose, urea, calcium and phosphorus was also observed. Slight alterations in the high of the villi and mildly eroded and infiltrated by inflammatory cells was observed in fish fed 45 and 60% SSM diets respectively The present study revealed that C. gariepinus can tolerate up to 60% replacement level of soybean without any adverse effects on the body composition, physiological disruption and cellular alteration. Hence suggest it could be nutritionally and economically viable means of developing a cost –effective feed to maximize fish growth.