Growth Performance Of Nile Tilapia Research Articles

Effects of Broad Bean Diet on the Growth Performance, Muscle Characteristics, Antioxidant Capacity, and Intestinal Health of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Four crisping diets were designed to conduct a feeding experiment to investigate the use of broad bean in the formulated feed of Nile tilapia and optimize its use. The growth performance, muscle characteristics, antioxidant capacity, and intestinal health of Nile tilapia with an initial body weight of 617.32 ± 1.64 g were evaluated after being fed with different diets for 90 days. The results showed no adverse effect on the growth performance of Nile tilapia fed with broad bean diets. Contrastingly, some improvements were found in WGR and SGR, but a lower FCR was obtained. The supplementation of broad beans weakened the antioxidant capacity of fish but did not influence liver health and the immune system. Increasing the amount of broad bean addition can increase muscle quality values, and an embrittling functional package being added to the diet can also improve muscle hardness, adhesiveness, and chewiness of Nile tilapia muscle. In addition, the crisping functional package can be applied to tilapia crisping formulated feed, which helps to improve the integrity of the intestinal tissue structure and optimize the intestinal microbiota of Nile tilapia. The final achievement of this study is to provide a theoretical reference for optimizing the breeding technology of crispy Nile tilapia and developing a specialized crisping diet for the species.

Utilization of Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) Larvae as a Potential Substitute for Fish Meal in the Production of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.)

Utilization of quality aqua-feed relies heavily on fish meal sources of protein because of its nutritional balance. However, due to its limited supply, high cost, and decline of wild fish populations, aquaculture production has shifted focus to cheaper and more readily available alternatives to guarantee sustainable aquaculture productivity. Black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae are a promising replacement for fish meal in fish diets due to their relatively high crude protein, lipid and mineral contents, and the bioactive potential with anti-microbial, and other probiotic properties. This study determined the effect of partially replacing fish meal with black soldier fly meal (BSFLM) on the growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Four isonitrogenous (30% crude protein) diets in which fish meal protein was gradually substituted with BSFLM were prepared as follows: No BSFLM (control)-T0; 25% (BSFLM25)-T25, 50% (BSFLM50)-T50 and 75% (BSFLM75)-T75. The feeds were fed to the Nile tilapia fingerlings (mean weight 25 ±5 g) which were randomly stocked in 12 cages at a stocking density of 30 fish per cage. The experimental fish were manually fed at 3% of the body weight for 28 days, and 4% of the body weight for 154 days twice a day. The study found that 25% and 50% replacement of fish meal protein with BSFLM resulted in the best growth performance of Nile tilapia, as measured by final mean body weight gain (BWG), specific growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and condition factor (K). This suggests that BSFLM is a promising alternative to fish meal in aqua-feeds in the production of Nile tilapia.

Dietary propolis improves the growth performance, redox status, and immune response of Nile tilapia upon a cold-stress challenge.

The purpose of this research was to demonstrate the potential of adding propolis (PR) to the diet of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) to mitigate the harmful effect of cold stress (CS) on the growth performance, redox status, and immunological response. Two trials were conducted in this study. First, 210 Nile tilapia fingerlings (28.61±0.20 g) were used in a preliminary trial to determine the appropriate PR level and supplementation period to be applied for the main trial. Fish were assigned into 7 treatment groups (3 aquaria replicates × 10 fish per aquarium in each treatment group) according to the rate of PR supplementation in the fish diets at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 g/kg for 6 consecutive weeks. The average body weight and body weight gain were determined weekly. It was found that PR supplementation at 10 g/kg in fish diet for 4 weeks was enough to obtain significant results on the growth performance of Nile tilapia. For the main trial of the present study, 480 Nile tilapia fingerlings (average weight 29.93±0.11 g) were distributed into randomized 2 PR × 2 CS factorial treatment groups (6 replicate aquariums containing 20 fish in each group). Fish of PR groups received a basal diet for a feeding period of 4 weeks, included with 10 g/kg PR (+ PR group) or without PR inclusion (- PR group). Fish of the CS groups were either challenged with cold stress at 18°C (+ CS group) or maintained at a temperature of 26°C during the feeding period (- CS group). The results showed that CS challenge significantly (p < 0.05) impaired the growth indices, redox status, and immune response in the challenged fish compared to the non-challenged fish. On contradictory, the inclusion of PR into fish diets enhanced (p < 0.05) the feed intake, growth indices, antioxidant enzyme activity, and immunological parameters. Moreover, PR treatment alleviated the CS deterioration of fish weights, specific growth rates, feed efficiency, antioxidant enzyme activity, lymphocyte proliferation, and phagocytosis activity and alleviated the elevated mortality, H/L ratio, and malondialdehyde levels by cold stress. It is concluded that the inclusion of propolis at 10 g/kg in the diet of Nile tilapia fish could be approved as a nutritional approach to enhance their performance, especially when stressed by low-temperature conditions.

Effects of dietary Periplaneta americana water extract on growth, chemical composition, muscle antioxidant status, and meat quality of Nile tilapia

Abstract This study investigated the effects of dietary Periplaneta americana water extract (PAWE) supplementation (0, 1, 2, and 4 g/kg) on the chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, and meat quality in Nile tilapia. The results showed that the extract improved weight gaining rated of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Meanwhile, dietary PAWE decreased lactate content, glycolytic potential, centrifugal water loss, and cooking loss, and enhanced muscle pH, protein content, total sulfhydryl content and meat color in Nile tilapia muscle. Dietary PAWE also improved the total antioxidant capability with enhanced superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities and lowered contents of reactive oxygen species, and lipid and protein oxidation products (i.e. thiobarbituric acid reactive species and protein carbonylation). Moreover, dietary PAWE enhanced the contents of flavor amino acids, total amino acids, adenosine monophosphate, and 5′-inosine monophosphate with enhanced the taste indicators (umami, richness and sweetness). In addition, PAWE supplementation improved myofiber growth and muscle protein deposition likely by activating of the IGFs/PI3K/Akt/TOR/S6K1/4E-BP1 pathway, contributing to the enhanced growth performance of Nile tilapia. The optimal dietary PAWE requirement for maximum growth and muscle protein was approximately 3 g/kg. Together, PAWE is a promising natural food additive that enhances muscle quality and nutritional value of Nile tilapia.

Microencapsulation of Lactobacillus plantarum in the alginate/chitosan improves immunity, disease resistance, and growth of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

This study evaluated the effects of microencapsulation of L. plantarum (as a probiotic) with chitosan/alginate biopolymers (MLCA) on innate immune response, disease resistance, and growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Four hundred and eighty fish were randomly distributed in glass tanks (150 L) and fed with diets including diet 1: control; diet 2: 10 g kg-1 microcapsules; diet 3: 108 CFU g-1 L. plantarum; and diet 4: 10 g kg-1 MLCA for 60 days. The hematology and biochemical indices, lysozyme activity, alternative complement activities, respiratory burst, serum bactericidal activity, as well as growth performance parameters (specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio) were analyzed. White blood cells, plasma protein and globulin concentration, serum lysozyme, and respiratory burst activities of fish were significantly increased (P < 0.05) in the MLCA diet. A challenge test against Streptococcus agalactiae, at the end of the experiment, showed the highest survival rate of the fish fed with MLCA. Moreover, the fish fed with MLCA showed a significant improvement in SGR (3.12 ± 0.18%) and FCR (1.23 ± 0.20) and had the highest growth performance. These results suggest longer stability of probiotics in the microcapsules, and their immunomodulatory effect can be considered a promising immunostimulant and growth enhancer in the Nile tilapia diet.

Mitigation of cold stress in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) through dietary lipids supplementation: a preliminary network meta-analysis.

There is a growing body of evidence suggesting that water temperature can significantly impact the dietary fatty acid requirements of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Therefore, this study assessed the effectiveness of different dietary lipid sources on the growth performance of Nile tilapia reared at suboptimal temperatures. A network meta-analysis was performed, including searches of PubMed and Scopus from inception to January 2022, for trials that evaluated the effects of lipid sources on cold-stressed Nile tilapia. The Bayesian hierarchical framework was used to pool and compare the effect sizes of growth parameters such as weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio (FCR). Furthermore, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) was obtained to calculate the probability that each lipid source was the most effective against cold stress. All subsequent numbers refer to comparisons with diets containing only fish oil. Dietary Aurantiochytrium significantly increased weight gain (SMD = 2.00, CrI: 0.70 to 3.40). In contrast, diets containing coconut oil led to significantly lower weight gain (SMD = - 3.30, CrI: - 6.00 to - 0.63) and higher FCR (SMD = 17.0, CrI: 6.70 to 27.0). Additionally, dietary corn oil was associated with a decrease in feed intake (SMD = - 2.32, CrI: - 3.91 to - 0.80), while a combination of fish and corn oil reduced FCR (SMD = - 5.70, CrI: - 11.0 to - 0.81). In general, the analysis of SUCRA values revealed that in cold-stressed Nile tilapia, Aurantiochytrium, sunflower oil, and the combination of fish and corn oil were the most effective lipid sources for improving growth at suboptimal temperatures. The results of the current study can serve as a basis for future studies that focus on the use of dietary lipid sources to mitigate cold stress in Nile tilapia.

Effects of Oat Bran Addition on the Growth Performance and Intestinal Health of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Exposed to Copper Ions.

This study investigated the effects of the oat bran addition on the growth performance and intestinal health of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) exposed to copper ions. Four groups of diets containing 0%, 5%, 10%, and 20% oat bran were fed to Nile tilapia for four weeks. The results showed that oat bran had a dose-dependent effect on the growth performance of Nile tilapia. The addition of oat bran can increase the relative abundance of Delftia, which is capable of degrading heavy metals in the intestinal tract and alleviating the intestinal damage caused by copper ion stress. Compared to the control group, the 5% oat bran group had an increased intestinal antioxidant capacity. The relative gene expression of proinflammatory factors (NF-κB, IL-1β) was significantly downregulated in the 5% oat bran group (P < 0.05), and the relative gene expression of anti-inflammatory factors (TGF-β), HIF-1α, occludin, and claudin was significantly upregulated (P < 0.05). In conclusion, we suggest that 5% oat bran should be added to the diet to improve the growth performance of Nile tilapia and alleviate the negative effects of copper ion stress on intestinal health.

A single exposure to sub-lethal concentrations of a glyphosate-based herbicide or fluoxetine-based agent on growth performance in Nile tilapia

ABSTRACT The aim of the present study was to determine e whether a single acute 96 hr exposure of a glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH) to Nile tilapia fingerlings affected growth performance during the first 90 days of culture. This association was considered as GBH increases serotoninergic activity that affect fish anorexically. Although these findings were based upon chronic investigations, this study was designed to examine whether a single, acute, but excessive concentration GBH might impair growth performance in fish. In parallel, fish were also exposed to fluoxetine (FLU), a drug that selectively inhibits the reuptake of serotonin in brain synapses, leading to increased serotoninergic activity. Data demonstrated a decreased growth performance in fingerlings exposed to GBH or FLU compared to unexposed fingerlings. In fact, FLU-exposed fingerlings exhibited lower average weight and length, diminished weight gain, which resulted in lower final biomass. GBH-exposed fish, despite displaying a lower mean body weight, exhibited a biomass similar to biomass on controls. These body weight differences were noted after 30–60- and 90-day growth period in clean water. In an aquaculture context, these observed changes may be considered harmful to the production or economic performance of large-scale farming as currently practiced in tilapia farming.

Impacts of different levels of vitamin K on the growth performance, hematological parameters, and immunological response of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

The current investigation was carried out to determine the impacts of different levels of vitamin K (VK) on the growth performance, hematological parameters, and immunological response of all-male juveniles of Nile tilapia (O. niloticus). VK3 (menadione) was added in five concentrations (0.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, and 12.0 mg kg–1 diet) in five isonitrogenous (30% cp), isocaloric (18.61 MJ kg–1) diets. The fish were fed the diets at a daily rate of 3% of their live weight, divided into 3 meals for 60 days. The results implied that supplemental VK did not provide any growth rate improvements and the efficiency of feed utilization over the control diet. Increasing dietary VK above 2 mg kg–1 feed resulted in significant retardation in fish performance and survival rates. Furthermore, supplemental VK up to 2–4 mg kg–1 increased hematological parameters, physiological functions, immune response, antioxidant capacity, and bone mineralization. Further increase in dietary VK resulted in a significant decline or level off in these parameters. Meanwhile, liver function enzymes increased progressively with dietary VK increasing. In conclusion, these findings suggest that supplemental VK maybe not be necessary for Nile tilapia growth performance, whereas about 2–4 mg kg–1 diet is required for other physiological functions. Increasing VK beyond these levels may pose adverse effects on Nile tilapia. However, further long-term studies are required to confirm these results.

Effect of an organic acid blend in Nile tilapia growth performance, immunity, gut microbiota, and resistance to challenge against francisellosis

Organic acids (OAs) are a class of feed additives that have prophylactic and inhibitory properties against pathogenic bacteria. In this study, we investigated growth performance, innate immune response, gut microbiota, and disease resistance against Francisella orientalis F1 in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed different doses of Bacti-nil®Aqua, a blend of short- and medium-chain OAs. For 21 days, 680 juvenile tilapias were fed a control diet or diets supplemented with a 0.3% (D3) or 0.5% (D5) OA blend. The feed conversion rate of fish fed the 0.5% enriched diet was considerably lower (p < 0.05) than that of the fish fed the basal diet. Lysozyme and serum bactericidal activities were significantly elevated following OA administration. After infection, no differences in the diversity and composition of gut microbiota were observed between the groups. After the bacterial challenge, the mortality was significantly lower in group D5 (p < 0.01). The diet supplemented with Bacti-nil®Aqua (Adisseo) improved the immune response and resistance of tilapia juveniles against F. orientalis infection. Thus, this OA blend could serve as a feed additive with good activity against F. orientalis.

Application of limestone-molasses blends in Nile tilapia rearing tanks

The work aimed at determining the effects of applying different blends between liquid molasses and agricultural limestone on water quality and growth performance of Nile tilapia juveniles, Oreochromis niloticus. The study employed 24 indoor tanks of 100 L and 24 outdoor tanks of 250 L. Four control groups were set up (no product applied, only molasses, only limestone, molasses-limestone blend with 48% limestone but no fish) and two experimental groups (molasses-limestone blends with 32% and 48% molasses), with four replicates each. Over 11 weeks, the water quality was monitored systematically. The 24-h cycle monitoring of temperature, pH, specific conductance, dissolved O2 and total alkalinity were carried out at the 8th week. The blends between molasses and limestone accelerated the dissolution rate of the agricultural limestone in water. The blend containing 48% molasses led to greater increases in water alkalinity and pH in relation to tanks with only limestone applications. However, the molasses-limestone blend applications impaired the Nile tilapia growth performance, especially in the outdoor tanks. While the fish yield was 25.1 g m-3 day-1 in the molasses outdoor tanks, it was equal to 22.8 g m-3 day-1 in the molasses (32%)-limestone units (P&lt;0.05). It has been concluded that the blending between limestone and molasses brings no clear benefits to Nile tilapia’s rearing tanks when compared to the limestone-only tanks.

Antioxidant, Immunostimulant, and Growth-Promoting Effects of Dietary Annona squamosa Leaf Extract on Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, and Its Tolerance to Thermal Stress and Aeromonas sobria Infection.

Plant extracts are a phytochemically-rich alternative to antibiotic and synthetic feed additives, with high systemic bioactivity in animals. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of a hydroalcoholic extract of custard apple (Annona squamosa) leaf (ASLE) on the growth, hematobiochemical parameters, digestive enzyme activities, redox status, nonspecific immune response, and cold and bacterial infection tolerance in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). A total of 300 Nile tilapia fingerlings (11.87 ± 0.48 g) were fed ASLE-supplemented diets at increasing levels of 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20 g/kg for 60 days. At the end of the feeding period, the fish were experimentally challenged with cold water stress or Aeromonas sobria, and mortalities were recorded for 10 days. The results revealed that the growth performance and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved with an increasing level of ASLE supplementation. The hematologic profile and hepato-renal functions were retained within a healthy range in the various groups supplemented with an ASLE diet. Antioxidant status was significantly improved in the serum of fish fed ASLE-supplemented diets, in terms of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities, reduced glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity. Meanwhile, the myeloperoxidase (MPO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels decreased significantly. Similarly, there was a noticeable improvement in the hepatic CAT and SOD activities and a reduction of hepatic MDA. Marked improvements in lysozyme activity, nitric oxide production, complement3 level, and phagocytic activity were recorded in groups fed ASLE-supplemented diets, which peaked with the 20 g ASLE/kg diet. Moreover, the serum glucose and cortisol levels significantly declined in groups fed ASLE at levels of 15-20 g/kg compared to the other groups. Supplementation with ASLE increased the activities of protease, lipase, and α-amylase. ASLE supplementation at a concentration of 10-20 g/kg diet enhanced the resistance of Nile tilapia to A. sobria infection. According to this study, ASLE supplementation enhanced the antioxidant balance, non-specific immune response, physiological status, resistance against infection, and growth performance of Nile tilapia at supplementation levels of 10-20 g/kg diet.

A comparative study of effects of curcumin and its nanoparticles on the growth, immunity and heat stress resistance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

This study evaluated the effects of dietary supplementation with free- or nano-curcumin on the growth performance, immune status and heat stress resistance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Seven isonitrogenous (28% protein) and isocaloric (445 kcal/100 g DM) diets were prepared. Six diets were supplemented with three levels of nano-curcumin (50 (CN50), 100 (CN100), 200 (CN200) mg kg−1 diet) or free-curcumin (50 (C50), 100 (C100), 200 (C200) mg kg−1 diet), and the control diet was left without an additive (CON). Fish (13.54 ± 0.32 g) (mean ± SD) fed the experimental diets for 65 days. Following the feeding trial, the fish were exposed to the acute heat stress by gradually raising the water temperature from 25 to 40 °C within 3 h. The fish were then exposed to 40 °C for 4 h. Results revealed the superiority of nano-curcumin over its free-form in enhancing the growth performance, with the highest results obtained at CN100, followed by CN200. Only heat stress, not the experimental diets, increased the platelets, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), leukocytes and neutrophils count, while lymphocytes decreased. The CN50 and CN100 groups showed lower activity of liver enzymes (alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)) than the other treatments, while C200 gave the highest activity of these enzymes. The highest immunoglobulin (IgM) levels were detected in CN100, CN200, C100 and C200, followed by CN50. The C200 group showed higher levels of complement 3 and complement 4 (C3 and C4, respectively) than the other treatments. The C50 and CON groups gave the lowest values of IgM, C3 and C4. Cortisol levels were significantly lower in the CN50 and CN100 groups compared to the other groups. After the heat stress, ALT, AST, IgM, C3, C4, cortisol and glucose increased. Thus, nano-curcumin is more effective than its free-form in enhancing the resistance to heat stress, inducing innate immunity, lowering the stress indicators and promoting growth performance of Nile tilapia with the best concentration at 100 mg kg−1 diet.

Effect of different levels of fermented water hyacinth leaf meal on feed utilization and performance of juvenile Nile tilapia

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of different inclusion levels of water hyacinth leaf meal fermented with Aspergillus niger on feed utilization efficiency and growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus L.). Fermented water hyacinth leaf (FWHL) at 0, 10, 20 and 30% inclusion levels were incorporated into four isonitrogenous (35% CP), and isoenergetic (18 KJ g-1 g) test diets. The fishes were stocked in 80 liters aquarium units, in a closed, recirculating indoor system. The diets were fed to triplicate groups of fish fingerlings (1.6 g average body weight) twice a day, at 6% of body weight/day, for three months. The study demonstrated that Nile tilapia fed FWHL at levels 30% had a significant negative impact (P&lt;0.05) on weight gain, specific growth rate, feed utilization efficiency, and whole body composition. But, there were no significant changes between diets supplemented with 10% and 20% FWHL when compared with the control group. Therefore, supplementation of fermented water hyacinth leaf meal to diets of Nile tilapia is recommended up to 20% because it is cheaper than fish meal and corn.

Dose Optimization of 17 α-Methyltestosterone to Maximize Sex Reversal of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis Niloticus)

The study investigated the optimum dose of 17 α-methyltestosterone (17α–MT) for maximum sex reversal and growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Using a completely randomized design, three treatments (Control, T-1, T-2, and T-3) in triplicates were set up. The control group diet was devoid of 17α–MT. The remaining three groups, T-1, T-2, and T-3, were fed feed that contained 30, 60, and 100 mg kg-1 of 17α–MT, respectively. Fry of three days old were stocked at a rate of 100 per tank. They were fed with experimental diet for 28 days. After the hormone treatment and 90 days of rearing the highest survival rate was found in the control group. Gonadal squashing of O. niloticus showed different sex ratios for different treatments. The control group showed a normal sex ratio of 48.33% males and 51.67% females. The experimental group T-3 showed the highest percentage of males (98.33%) followed by T-2 (93.33%) and T-1 (76.66%). After 90 days of rearing, although the study found the highest mean length (82.12±1.5 mm), weight (26.74±0.08 g) and SGR (9.17±0.05%) in the treatment T2, these growth performance parameters did not differ significantly with the result of treatment T3. The Nile tilapia's sex ratio has been found to be more affected by a higher dose, or 100 mg 17α–MT kg-1 of feed. With the increase of hormone inclusion level, sex reversal percentage increases. Higher doses of 17α–MT have also a positive impact on Nile tilapia growth performance. Growth increases with the increasing 17α–MT level up to 60 mg in the diet of O. niloticus. Based on the study, the recommended dose for producing maximum mono-sex male tilapia in commercial hatcheries may be 100 mg 17α–MT kg-1 feed.&#x0D; Vol. 9, No. 3, December 2022: 377-384

The Dietary Mixture of Betaine, Lactic Acid Bacteria, and Exogenous Digestive Enzymes Enhanced the Growth Performance, Intestinal Health, and Immunity of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) Grown in Outdoor Concrete Tanks

Abstract It has been illustrated that using mixtures of feed additives is more efficient than using individual additives in aquaculture. Hence, this study aimed to study a dietary mixture of betaine, lactic acid bacteria, and exogenous digestive enzymes (BLE) on the growth performance, digestion capacity, intestinal health, and blood indices of Nile tilapia reared outdoors in concrete tanks. Five diets were prepared where the basal diets were mixed with BLE at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1%. After 90 days, the growth performance of Nile tilapia fed BLE was markedly enhanced in fish fed 0.25 and 0.5% of BLE, while the feed conversion ratio (FCR) was reduced (P&lt;0.05). The lipase activity was significantly higher in tilapia fed BLE at 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75% than 0 and 1%. The amylase activity was meaningfully increased by 0.5% of BLE than 0, 0.25, 0.75, and 1%. The protease activity was significantly higher in tilapia fed BLE at 0.25 and 0.5 than 0, 0.75, and 1% (P&lt;0.05). The intestine of fish fed on BLE showed an increase in intestinal villi density. The villi length, width, and the number of goblet cells were markedly higher in the anterior, middle, and posterior segments of the intestines of tilapia fed BLE than in the control group (P&lt;0.05). Further, fish fed BLE had higher intestinal morphometry indices and count of goblet cells than the control. Significantly fish fed 0.25, and 0.5% of BLE had higher hemoglobulin, and hematocrit levels than fish fed 0, 0.75, and 1%. While, fish fed 0.5% had higher red blood cells than fish fed the remaining BLE levels (P&lt;0.05). On the other hand, no marked effects for BLE supplementation were seen on the alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total protein, albumin, globulin, creatinine, uric acid, and urea. The regression analysis showed that the maximum dose of BLE supplementation to achieve the highest final weight and the lowest FCR is 0.46% and 0.42%, respectively.

Effect of Anise Essential Oil Supplementation on Growth Performance of Nile Tilapia Reared at Low Dissolved Oxygen Level

Medicinal herbs are the most utilized and validated feed additives in the aquaculture industry. This study investigated the dietary effects of anise (Pimpinella anisum L.) in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Three sets of diets were prepared by spraying Anise essential oil on a commercial basal diet (30% crude protein) at the rate of 0 (control), 1, and 2 mL/kg diet. The experimental groups were assigned a 3 × 2 factorial design (3 level of anise oil; 0, 1, 2 ml) × 2 levels of dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration. The experiment was assembled as a control no anise (high DO), 1 ml + (high DO), 2 ml + (high DO), Control 0 ml (low DO), 1 ml anise (low DO), and 2 ml anise (low DO). Fish were fed the diets for 60 days consecutively at 3% body weight. The feed intake was recorded daily by subtracting the remaining feed in the containers from the total amount of feed before feeding. The results showed a marked enhancement in the growth performance and reduced feed conversion ratio in fish-fed anise compared to the control group. The carcass composition showed that crude protein was meaningfully by 2.5 and 3.5 g anise per kg diet. In conclusion, incorporating anise into the diet of Nile Tilapia is suggested to enhance performances and well-being.

BUDIDAYA IKAN NILA JATIMBULAN (Oreochromis sp) DENGAN SISTEM SEMI INTENSIF

Low growth performance and survival rate of tilapia is the main problem in tilapia culture especially Nile Jatimbulan. Growth performance of Nile tilapia is highly affected by genetic materials, food quality, stocking density, feeding rate and frequency and environmental factors such as water quality. Semi intensive system in earthen pond were used in this study. Earth pond contain various of organisms which support the growth performance of fish and phytoplankton. In addition, waterwheel with a power of 0.5 HP were added to increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the pond. To improve water quality and performance of tilapia, EM4 probiotic were applied. This study showed the growth rate of jatimbulan is 2.94 grams, SR 80% and FCR value of 0,6. Jatimbulan tilapia were obtained after 90 days of culture is 6 tons with an average of body weight 250-300 grams.

Phytase Supplementation under Commercially Intensive Rearing Conditions: Impacts on Nile Tilapia Growth Performance and Nutrient Digestibility

This study evaluated the effects of phytase supplementation on growth performance and apparent digestibility of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in a commercial fish farm setting. Nile tilapia (6300 male, 57.48 ± 1.04 g) were randomly stocked into 42 floating cages. The experimental design was completely randomized, comprising six treatments and seven replications. Fish were fed five phosphorus deficient plant-based diets with graded levels of phytase supplementation (0, 500, 1000, 1500, 2000 UF kg-1) and an additional diet containing phosphorus supplementation to meet the requirement of this fish species (positive control). After 97 days of feeding, growth performance data were collected and 900 fish (500 ± 10 g) were relocated to 6 floating cages for the digestibility assessment. Quadratic polynomial regression analysis indicated 1537.5 and 1593.2 UF kg-1 as the optimum dietary levels for daily weight gain and feed conversion rate, respectively. Including 2000 UF kg-1 resulted in the higher dry matter, crude protein, energy, and ash apparent digestibility coefficient values. Therefore, phytase supplementation from 1500 to 2000 UF kg-1 is recommended to enhance growth performance and nutrient bioavailability of Nile tilapia reared according to industry practices.

Nutrients digestibility and growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed on oilseed meals with crude papain enzyme

AbstractIn this study, nutrients digestibility and growth performance of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed on oilseed meals with crude papain enzyme were determined. A control diet (D1) of 30% crude protein (CP) was formulated using fishmeal (FM), soybean meal (SBM), canola meal (CM) and sunflower meal (SFM). The test diets were formulated with replacing 10% CP of FM by SBM (D2), CM (D3) and SFM (D4), respectively. Crude papain enzyme in powder form was incorporated at 0.06%. Digestibility trial was performed using chromium oxide as an inert marker. A feeding trial of 101 days was conducted using a 4 × 2 factorial design with 4 diets (D1, D2, D3 and D4) and 2 papain enzyme inclusion levels at 0.06% and 0% using 720 Nile tilapia fingerlings (7 ± 3 g). The fingerlings were randomly distributed into 8 groups of 3 replicates of 30 fingerlings per net hapa (2 × 1 × 1 m3). Fish were fed twice daily at 5% of their biomass at 10 am and 4 pm in two equal meals. Apparent digestibility coefficients increased (p &lt; 0.05) on crude papain enzyme supplementation. There was increase in final body weight (47.32 ± 2.10 g) on 0.06% enzyme than without enzyme (0%) (46.17 ± 2.14 g) (p &gt; 0.05). Irrespective of enzyme supplementation, fish fed FM‐based diet were larger (56.89 ± 1.37 g) (p &lt; 0.05) than those fed on oilseed meals; SBM (45.59 ± 0.91 g), CM (43.89 ± 2.12 g) and SFM (40.59 ± 1.60 g). Based on the study, 0.06% crude papain enzyme inclusion increased nutrients digestibility and growth performance of Nile tilapia. Therefore, crude papain enzyme is recommended as a feed additive in Nile tilapia diets to promote growth. However, more research is recommended to determine optimum inclusion levels of crude papain enzyme in Nile tilapia diets.