Abstract
The effects of dietary garlic (Allium sativum) powder as a feed additive on hematological and biochemical health characteristics of European Sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax juveniles were studied. Experimental fish were fed diets supplemented with garlic powder at 0 (control), 2%, 4%, or 6% levels for a period of 60 days. Results showed that the red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb) concentration, hematocrit (%), and mean corpuscular Hb in fish fed garlic powder diets at dietary inclusion levels of 4% and 6%, were significantly lower than the control values. Serum glucose was significantly lower in Sea bass that were fed garlic powder diets (4% and 6%) compared to the control group. Serum triglyceride and globulin levels in fish fed a 4% garlic powder diet were significantly higher than the control values, whereas these two variables in the 2% and 6% garlic treatments were similar to the control values. The cholesterol levels in the 2% and 6% treatment groups were lower than the value recorded for the control group. As a result, it is suggested that garlic powder supplementation in diets for Sea bass juveniles should not exceed 2%. The present study is the first attempt to examine the effects of dietary garlic powder on the hematological and biochemical status in Sea bass juveniles.
Highlights
There is an increasing need to understand the roles of phyto-additives in aquaculture
When dietary garlic powder was increased from 4% to 6%, feed consumption of fish in the GP6 treatment group significantly decreased (p < 0.05), compared to those in the control, GP2 and the GP4 treatment groups
Garlic powder consumption in the experimental groups significantly increased (p < 0.05) with the increase in dietary garlic powder levels from 2% to 6%
Summary
There is an increasing need to understand the roles of phyto-additives in aquaculture. A variety of herbs and spices have been successfully used in fish culture as growth promoters and immune-stimulants. Garlic has been reported to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral and antiparasitic effects, and to improve the immune system [2]. Earlier studies have reported that garlic, as a feed additive in fish feed, may stimulate growth, improve antioxidant status, and enhance immunological, hematological and serum biochemical parameters [3]-[8]. The findings of previous studies to determine the optimum dietary inclusion levels varied depending on the dose used (0.05% to 4%), but the efficacy of different doses, at high doses, appeared to be worse based on investigations of toxicology. The results suggested that high concentrations of phyto-additives may result in negative effects on fish health [9]
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