Nutritional and Intestinal Microflora of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) Fingerlings Fed with Varying Inclusion Levels of Aspilia africana Leaf Paste
2025
Adegbesan, S.I.
Phytobiotics, when supplemented to fish diets, could promote the growth and health of fish. This study was conducted to evaluate the nutritional and molecular characterization of Aspilia africana leaf paste (AAL) in the diet of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings. A feeding trial was conducted in an earthen pond unit in a 12 net-hapa (0.6 m x 1.1 m x1.2 m) (l x b x h) suspended in the pond and supplied with fresh water. 180 fingerlings (average weight, 12.37g) were randomly allocated at 15 fingerlings per treatment and control in triplicates into the net-hapa in a completely randomized design. Four isonitrogenous diets (40% crude protein) were formulated to contain-(0.5%, AAL1); (1.0%, AAL2); (1.5%, AAL3), and control diet. AAL paste was prepared using standard procedures and was embedded into diets, pelletized (2mm), packed in an opaque bag, and stored. Fingerlings were weighed, acclimated (seven days), and fed with a commercial diet (2mm). The fish were starved (24 hours) before starting and were fed with diets twice daily ad libitum for 16 weeks. Weighing was done weekly for growth and intestinal microflora (biochemical and molecular characterization) using standard procedures. Significant differences occurred in the growth parameters of fish fed AAL. The highest mean weight gain, 1452.57 ± 36.52g, was observed in fish fed AAL3. Total bacterial and fungal counts decreased as inclusion levels of AAL increased among fish fed the AAL. The study concluded that dietary supplementation of AAL could promote growth while also improving the health status of the fish.
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