Immunomodulatory and Growth Performance Effects of Ginseng Extracts as a Natural Growth Promoter in Comparison with Oxytetracycline in the Diets of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

Ginseng is a traditional herbal medicine, used as an immunomodulator producing several cytokines which stimulate lymphoid cells to proliferate. Using of oxytetracycline in fish diets as a growth promoter make immunosuppression to both cellular and humoral immunity. This study was aimed to study the immunomodulatory role of Ginseng extracts in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and provide a natural alternative to the use of oxytetracycline as growth promoter. Two hundred Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were randomly distributed into equal 4 groups, each one contained 50 fish (25 fish / replicate). The 1st group (control group) was fed with a basal diet (32.16% protein) without any additives, the 2nd group was fed with a basal diet mixed with 1g /kg diet oxytetracycline, the 3rd group was fed with a basal diet mixed with 0.6 g /kg diet of ginseng extract, the 4th group was fed a basal diet mixed with 0.6 gm/kg diet ginseng extract plus 1g /kg diet oxytetracycline. At the end of the feeding experiment, the growth performance and different immunological parameters of experimental fish were assessed. Fish was challenged with pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila to evaluate the effect of the used additives on its ability to withstand the infection. The results revealed that the growth performance and different immunological parameters were significantly higher in all fish groups that received ginseng extracts than the other groups. So, addition of Ginseng extracts to the Nile tilapia diets can be used as immunostimulants and served as a natural alternative growth promoter for oxytetracycline.