Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil (Cucurbita maxima) Supplementation to Nile Tilapia (O. niloticus) Diets on Performance, Feed Utilization and Body Composition
Effect of Pumpkin Seed Oil (Cucurbita maxima) Supplementation to Nile Tilapia (O. niloticus) Diets on Performance, Feed Utilization and Body Composition
Hanan A. Abo-State*, Mosaad M. El-Monairy, Yasser A. Hamouda, Hussein M.A. Hassan
ABSTRACT
Feed additives can be used as functional feed and applied in aquaculture for improving performance and feed utilization. This study aimed to examine the effect of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) supplementation to Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings diets on growth performance, feed utilization and body composition. Nile tilapia (4.12g fish-1) were fed the basal diet contained 30.36% crude protein and 3879 kcal kg-1 gross energy with different levels of PSO (0.0 (control), 25%, 50% and 75% from the source of vegetable oil that was added to the basal diet). Fish (300 male) were distributed randomly into four groups (4 groups x 3 replicate x 25 fish of each). All groups were fed diets twice a day during the trial period (56 day) at 5% of body weight for the first two weeks thereafter at 4% for the last period. The results showed that the best values of specific growth rate, final weight, weight gain, feed intake and feed conversion ratio were obtained with fish fed diet supplemented 75% PSO followed by 50% PSO. The best values of protein efficiency ratio and protein productive value was obtained with fish fed 75% PSO followed by 50% and 25 % PSO supplementation. The maximum value for energy retention that was recorded in fish group fed 75% PSO, while the other groups had no significant differences among them. No significant difference was detected among all treatments in whole body composition. From these results it could be concluded that using PSO up to 75% from the ordinary source of vegetable oil in Nile tilapia fish diets enhances growth performance and feed utilization and without negative effect on whole body composition which may lead to improve fish production.
Keywords | Pumpkin seed oil, Nile tilapia, Performance, feed utilization, Body composition.
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April 2022
Vol. 10, Iss. 4, Pages 712-954
