Productive traits, blood biochemical parameters and meat quality of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss W.) fed with supplement of nutmeg extract (Myristica fragrans)

Abstract

Abstract. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of the dietary nutmeg extract (Myristica fragrans) supplement on the survival rate, weight gain, feed conversion ratio (FCR), economic efficiency (ECR), blood biochemical parameters, chemical composition and fatty acid profile of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss W.), cultivated in a recirculation system. One hundred and sixty rainbow trouts were distributed in two experimental variants, each with two replications with 80 fish in one group. The average initial live weight of trouts from control (C) and experimental (E) groups was 13.43±0.33 g and 13.46±0.29 g, respectively. Fish were reared in concrete tanks with effective volume of 0.8 m3, part of a recirculation system. Trouts were fed „Aqua garant UNI“ extruded feed produced by Garant-Tiernahrung Gesellschaft m.b.H. – Austria, with pellet size of 2 mm. The feed of fish from the experimental group was supplemented with 1% powdered nutmeg extract (P.I.C.Co LTD), by lubricating the pellets with 5 ml sunflower oil/100 g feed. Control rainbow trouts received feed lubricated with the same amount of sunflower oil. Fish from both groups were fed 3 times daily and their ration was 3% of body weight. The experimental period lasted 60 days. The dietary supplementation of rainbow trouts with nutmeg extract had a negative impact on growth performance and economic efficiency of farming of the species. Final live weight and average individual weight gain were lower, and FCR and ECR values were inferior vs controls. The nutmeg extract had also an adverse effect on water content and dry matter of meat from supplemented fish. A positive effect was demonstrated only on meat fat content, which was substantially lower compared to that of control fish. Despite the higher SFA as well as lower UFA, MUFA, PUFA, n-6 and n-3 fatty acid content of trout meat that received nutmeg extract with feed, the PUFA/SFA and n-6/n-3 ratios remained within the favourable range for human nutrition, e.g. >0.4 and <5, respectively.