Evaluation of Nymphaea nouchali leaf meal based diets on growth, digestive enzymes and haematological parameters of Labeo catla fingerlings (Hamilton, 1822)

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Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the nutraceutical traits of Nymphaea nouchali herbal plant ingredients on the growth performance, digestive enzymes and health status of Labeo catla fingerlings owing to the abundance of phytoconstituents. Methodology: Four isonitrogenous and isocaloric diet with different inclusion levels of Nymphaea nouchali leaf meal (NNLM) i.e., 0%, 20%, 30% and 40% were formulated and designated as T-0, T-I, T-II and T-III treatment groups. A total of 144 fingerlings of L. catla were randomly distributed into the experimental cisterns in triplicates following completely randomized design. Results: At the end of the experiment, the percent weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly higher (P<0.05) with significantly lower (P<0.05) feed conversion ratio (FCR) in T-II group as compared to the other experimental groups. Significantly lower (P<0.05) percent weight gain and SGR with significantly higher (P<0.05) FCR were recorded in T-0 and T-III. The protease and amylase activities were found to be significantly higher (P<0.05) in the T-II with lower (P<0.05) values recorded in T-0 and T-III groups. The red blood cell count and haemoglobin level were found to be significantly higher (P<0.05) in the T-I and T-II groups as compared to T-0 and T-III, respectively. Interpretation: The present study demonstrated that dietary inclusion of Nymphaea nouchali leaf meal with 30% improved growth, nutrient utilization and better health benefits of L. catla fingerlings in the present culture condition. Key words: Digestive enzymes, Herbal plant, Labeo catla, Leaf meal, Nymphaea nouchali