Effect of cannabis oil on growth performance, haematology and metabolism of Nile TilapiaOreochromis niloticus

Abstract

Cannabis sativa is a plant that produces an oil with psychoactive and stress reduction effects and thus illegal in many nations. Lately, the beneficial properties of the plant extract are becoming better understood and perceptions are changing. As the aquaculture industry matures from a primitive extensive pond system to an industrialized intensive system, fish stress and disease incidence are increasing, with negative economic results. A nutritional ingredient that could reduce stress and disease incidence in aquacultured fish would thus be opportune. In the present work we investigated whether ether extracted cannabis oil would relieve stress, improve growth and feed conversion, and/or improve haematological indicators of disease resistance. Three diets were made to contain either soy oil, industrial hemp oil or cannabis oil and offered to tilapia for 8 weeks. At termination, survival, growth, feed conversion and blood parameters were assessed. Fish were returned to their tanks, offered the same feeds as during the experiment and respiration assessed. Cannabis extract was found to increase metabolism and thus increase feed conversion. On the other hand, cannabis had no effect on blood cell counts, total plasma protein, haematocrit or lysozyme activity. Results thus suggest that cannabis does not improve immune response of tilapia or body composition but does reduce growth rate by increasing metabolic rate. K E Y W O R D Scannabis, haematology, metabolism, respirometry, THC, tilapia

Cannabis and the Environment: What Science Tells Us and What We Still Need to Know

“…Their results showed that prolonged exposure could contribute to oxidative and genetic damage. Experimental exposure to cannabis extracts further led to negative physiological or behavioral impacts in carp ( Cyprinus carpio L.), tilapia ( Oreochromis niloticus ), and zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) and induced high mortality rates in mosquitoes ( Aedes albopictus ) and snails ( Physella acuta ) . Still, given knowledge gaps with regard to actual Δ-9-THC and THC-COOH concentrations in aquatic ecosystems and the effects of the compounds on mussels or other organisms in the wild, it is difficult to draw broader conclusions about potential environmental risks posed by exposure to active cannabis compounds for aquatic organisms.…”

Biochemical Characterization and In Vitro Digestibility of Protein Isolates from Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) By-Products for Salmonid Feed Applications

“…Hemp processing by-products may have potential as new salmonid aquafeed ingredients due to their good profiles of essential amino acids and polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) that are needed for fish growth and health [ 10 , 11 ]. While this may be the first effort with a focus on salmonids, encouraging results have been reported on the use of hemp proteins and oils for other commercially relevant aquaculture species such as sunshine bass, cobia, common carp, and Nile tilapia [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ]. In our previous study, we reported on the characterization of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and other lipids derived from hemp by-products using UPLC-HRMS [ 16 ].…”

Διαχειριστικές Πρακτικές Ευζωίας Στην Εντατική Εκτροφή Ιχθύων

“…Ωστόσο, αν και έχουν μελετηθεί αρκετά οι επιδράσεις φαρμακευτικών φυτών στον τομέα των υδατοκαλλιεργειών, οι ιδιότητες της κάνναβης στον τομέα αυτό είναι ακόμα άγνωστες. Ο αριθμός των μελετών είναι μικρός ενώ για κάποια είδη ψαριών όπως το λαβράκι (Webster et al, 2000) και η τιλάπια (O. niloticus) (Saoud et al, 2018) έχει μελετηθεί η επίδραση των σπόρων κάνναβης στην ανάπτυξη, στην επιβίωση και στη θρεπτική σύσταση αλλά και στο αιματολογικό προφίλ. Η ρίγανη (O. vulgare) είναι εγγενές φυτό της μεσογειακής χλωρίδας και ανήκει στην οικογένεια των χειλανθών (Lamiaceae family).…”