EFFECT OF AQUAVIANCE PRODUCT AS DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION TO IMPROVE GROWTH PERFORMANCE, FEED INTAKE, INNATE IMMUNITY AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY FOR NILE TILAPIA, (OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS)

Asmaa S. Abd El-Naby1; Fatma Samir1;

Nashwa Abdel Razek2 and Khattaby, A.A3.

1Fish Nutrition Department, 2Fish Health and Diseases Department, 3production and Aquaculture systems Department, Central Lab for Aquaculture Research, Abassa, Abu Hammad, Sharkia, Egypt.

Received 16/ 4/ 2017

        Accepted 28/ 5/ 2017

Abstract

    An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of commercial feed additive (Aquaviance) on growth performance, nutrient utilization, body composition, immune response, digestive enzymes and antioxidants of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings. Aquaviance feed additive was added to the diets at 1, 2 and 3 g/kg feed) and fed to the fish for 12 weeks at a rate of 4% of live body weight for the first 2 weeks, and 3% for the rest of the experimental period. Fish fed on diets with Aquaviance feed additive showed improved growth performance, feed utilization and body composition significantly (p<0.05) compared to fish fed on the control diet. The maximum feed consumption was significantly greater with fish fed 2 and 3 g/kg Aquaviance diets. The best growth performance was observed in the group fed with dietary 2 g/kg. Moisture and ash contents did not differ among treatments with Aquaviance feed additive. Protein content increased and lipid content decreased significantly with increasing levels of Aquaviance in diets. In the present study, dietary supplementation of Aquaviance enhance non-specific immune response of Oreochromis niloticus
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lysozyme activity and respiratory burst activity showed significant increase in group fed 2 g/kg Aquaviance then group fed 3 g/kg followed by 1 g/kg than control group. Improvement in gills and liver Superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), Catalase activity (CAT) and Glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and reduced Malondialdehyde (MDA) activities was observed in the group fed with dietary 2 g/kg which was consistent with the immune response. The highest values of intestinal amylase activity and lipase activities were significantly observed in fish fed 2 g/kg Aquaviance than control group. These results revealed that using Aquaviance at level 2 g/kg was the best in term of growth performance, feed utilization, body composition, innate immune response, digestive enzyme activity and antioxidant capability. Additionally, Aquaviance additon reduced the feeding cost to produce one kg fish gain; this reduction at 2 g/kg Aquaviance was 23.62%, respectively as compared to control diet.

Key words: Feed additives, Aquaviance, Nile tilapia, growth performance, feed utilization, body composition, innate immune response, digestive enzymes and antioxidants.