DIETRY EFFECT OF GINGER (ZINGIBER OFFICINALE ROSCOE) ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, IMMUNE RESPONSE OF NILE TILAPIA (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS) AND DISEASE RESISTANCE AGAINST AEROMONAS HYDROPHILA

Hassanin, M. El-Sayed1*; Hakim, Y.1

and Badawi, M. El-Sayed2

1Department of Fish Diseases and Management, 2Dept. of Nutrition and Clinical Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Egypt.

*Corresponding author: Hassanin M. El-Sayed, Phone: +20-1008994986.

E-mail: [email protected]

Received 3/ 12/ 2013

Accepted 19/ 1/ 2014

Abstract

The aim of current investigation was to evaluate the effects of graded levels (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.5 and 1 %) of ginger (Zingiber officinale, Roscoe) as feed additive in the diets of Oreochromis niloticus on growth performance and immunological status. A total of 360 apparently healthy Oreochromis niloticus with an average body weight of 30.00 ± 1.00g were used. The fish were randomly divided into 6 equal triplicate groups (each replicate contained 20 fish). The fish were fed isonitrogenous, isocaloric diets 4 times daily at rate of 5% of body weight for 10 weeks.

The results revealed that the fish fed diets contained ginger had a significant (P < 0.05) increase in total final body weight, body gain, body gain percent, specific growth rate, and also utilized their feed more efficiently (lower values of FCR) than those fed the control diets. The average daily feed intake wasn’t significantly (P > 0.05) different with all groups. Lysozyme activity and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were significantly improved due to supplementation of the diets with ginger. Supplemented diets with ginger protected fish against pathogenic strain of Aeromonas hydrophila. It could be concluded that supplementation of ginger in fish diets as an alternative to antibiotics and therapeutic agents, had significantly additive benefit in growth performance and immune status of fish compared with the control.

Key words: Ginger, Oreochromis niloticus, growth Performance, health status.