Digestible Protein Sparing Effects of Digestible Lipids in Clarias gariepinus

Abstract

A digestibility trial was carried out on Clarias gariepinus fingerlings 2.25±0.05g for 4 weeks. The results indicated significant difference (P<0.05) between the gross and digestible diets as out of 20% lipid/protein fed only 17.75% was digestible. It was this quantity that apparently spared 22.8% out of 30% protein fed for growth. The groundnut oil based diets also showed significant difference (p<0.05) between the gross nutrients fed and actual digestible. From the result only 16.80/25.22% out of 20/30% dietary groundnut oil and dietary protein fed respectively. The palm oil based diets also exhibited similar trend protein/lipid ratio 15/35 only 12.87/29.52 dietary palm oil and dietary protein respectively was digestible. However, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the digestible groundnut oil and palm oil. Therefore, the digestible lipids in this study were significantly lower than the gross diets fed.