INCLUSION OF MESQUITE POD MEAL (<i>Prosopis juliflora</i>) IN DIETS FOR NILE TILAPIA (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>) JUVENILES

Abstract

Alternative feeds are used to include or replace conventional ingredients in fish diets to generate regional socioeconomic sustainability and maintain the growth performance of fish. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of mesquite pod meal (MPM) in extruded diets for Nile tilapia juveniles fed graded levels of inclusion (26, 32, 38, 44, and 50%). Growth performance variables of plasma metabolites, enzymatic activities and haematological parameters were evaluated. Fish were fed at 6% of biomass for 45 days. Four-hundred Nile tilapias juveniles (11.5 ± 0.18 g) were distributed into twenty-500L aquaria in recirculation system. Significant differences of treatments on performance parameters, feed conversion ratio and survival were observed. Among the metabolic parameters, glycemia was altered (P <0.05). The activities of digestive and transamination enzymes were not influenced (P>0.05) by the inclusion of MPM. Hematological variables did not change (P>0.05). It was concluded that MPM can be included up to 38.67% in diets for Nile tilapia juveniles without impairing performance, metabolism, enzymatic activities and health.

Non-Conventional Ingredients for Tilapia (Oreochromis spp.) Feed: A Systematic Review

“…The O. europaea cake showed significantly superior results to the control, while its oil recorded SSI results [37]. P. juliflora meal did not show SSD results to the control in the two works where it was evaluated [55,56].…”

Prosopis Pod Meal as an Alternative Aquafeed Ingredient

“…The available literature on the nutritional composition of Prosopis pods indicates that it could be a probable energy and protein ingredient for aquafeed (Table 1). Prosopis pods are highly nutritious and palatable (Anttila et al, 1993), and they have been consumed by cattle, sheep, rabbits, goats, sheep, poultry and fish (Silva, 1986;Silva et al, 1990;Pinheira et al, 1993;Ravikala et al, 1993;Mahgoub et al, 2004;Al-Beitawi et al, 2010;Chovatiya et al, 2016;Al-Harthi et al, 2018;Nascimento et al, 2019). Like other plantbased ingredients, the proximate composition of Prosopis pod meal varies with location, soil type, age, season, etc.…”

“…Prosopis pod meal can completely replace the conventional high-cost ingredients (corn meal, wheat flour, rice bran and cottonseed meal) in tilapia feed. The available literature suggests that it may include 6.0 to 38.67% of the feed of tilapia feed with positive impacts on growth and health (Mabrouk et al, 2008;Ramos et al, 2012;Sena et al, 2012;Nascimento et al, 2019). Fermented Prosopis pod can wholly substitute rice bran in the feed of Labeo rohita without impacting growth performance and feed intake (Chovatiya et al, 2016).…”