Moringa oleivera Seed meal as a Protein Substitute on Growth performance and Stress biomarkers of Laboratory reared Clarias gariepinus Fingerlings in Minna, Nigeria.

Abstract

A number of plants such as Moringa oleivera has been reported to have the potential use in supplementing or even replacing fishmeal in aquaculture with the possibility to reduce the total dependence on fishmeal and to reduce the production cost. An eight weeks study was carried out on influence of inclusion of Moringa oleifera seed meal as a protein substitute on growth and some physiological parameters of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings under laboratory conditions. Two hundred and twenty C. gariepinus fingerlings of initial mean weight (2.10±0.15g) were randomly separated into four experimental groups consisting of four treatments (Control, 10, 20 and 30% inclusion levels of Moringa oleivera seed meal) with two replicates each and fed 3% body weight twice daily. Survival rates, stress biomarkers, growth and physicochemical parameters were determined based on standard experimental procedures. Results revealed that the phytochemical analyses indicated that M. oleifera was significantly highest (p<0.05) in tannin (2.52±0.12 g/100g).The bodyweight (10.17±0.42g), weight gain (8.07±0.27g),percentage weight gain (384.29 %), standard length (13.36±0.44 cm), total length (14.20±0.53cm) and survival rate (98.15±0.80%) of fingerlings fed 10% inclusion level were significantly higher (p<0.05) at the end of the Study. The Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activities (4.15±1.03 U/L) of fingerlings fed 30% inclusion level and catalase activities of fingerlings fed 10% inclusion level (8.08±2.21 U/L) were significantly higher (p<0.05) among the treatments. Physicochemical parameters indicated no significant differences (p>0.05) in temperature, pH, Dissolved oxygen, Biochemical oxygen demand of rearing media from all the treatments. Therefore, this study suggests that 10% inclusion level of M. oleifera seed meal or the control will promotes the growth, survival rate and as a stress biomarker of C. gariepinus fingerlings. Thus, Moringa oleivera seed meal should also be incorporated in feeding trials of other commercially important fish species.