THE USE OF GINSENG IN PRACTICAL DIETS FOR NILE TILAPIA, OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS (L.): EFFECT ON GROWTH PERFORMANCE, FEED UTILISATION, WHOLE-BODY COMPOSITION AND ENTEROPATHOGENIC AEROMONAS HYDROPHILA-CHALLENGE

Seden, M.E.A.; Mohammad. H. Ahmad;

Talaat N. Amer and Nader E. El-Tawil

Department of Fish Nutrition, Central Laboratory for Aquaculture Research, CLAR, Agriculture Research Center, Egypt.

Received 12/ 1/ 2012
Accepted 23/ 2/ 2012

Abstract

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary ginseng herb, Panax ginseng
supplementation on growth performance, feed utilization and enteropathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila-challenge of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (L.). Six experimental diets were formulated to contain 0 (control), 25, 50, 75, 100 or 125 mg ginseng/kg diet. All diets are isonitrogenous (30% crude protein) and isocaloric (436 kcal/100g diet). Diets were fed to triplicate groups of Nile tilapia fry (0.71 g initial body weight) at the daily rate of 10% of fish body weight for the first four weeks then reduced to 8% for the next six weeks and further reduced to 4% for the remaining period of the study. The feed was offered twice daily; six days a week for 14 weeks. Results of fish growth indicated that final body weight, weight gain and daily gain increased significantly (P<0.05) with increasing
ginseng level in the fish diet up to the level of 100 mg ginseng/kg diet. Increasing the level of ginseng from 100 to 125 mg ginseng/ kg diet did not exert any additional advantage to growth of fish. The lowest values were obtained at control group. Survival rate was slightly enhanced due to the inclusion of ginseng in the fish diets with insignificant differences (P>0.05). The highest feed intake and the best FCR were obtained at fish group maintained at 100 mg ginseng/kg diet. PER, APU and EU values were enhanced significantly (P<0.05) when fish fed diets containing ginseng, while the lowest values were obtained at control group. Fish body protein content increased significantly (P<0.05) with increasing ginseng level in the diet, while insignificant differences were observed in total lipids content among treatments (P>0.05). At the end of the experiment, fish were challenged against Aeromonas hydrophila for 10 days. The mortality rate decreased with the increase of ginseng level in fish diets. No mortalities were observed in fish groups maintained at diets contained at 100 and 125 mg ginseng/kg, respectively. The results of present study suggested that Nile tilapia fry fed diets containing at least 100 mg ginseng/kg had enhanced growth performance, feed utilization and enteropathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila-challenge.

Key words: Ginseng (Panax ginseng), Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), growth performance, feed utilization, Aeromonas hydrophila-challenge.