The role of lectin in improving growth performance, feed utilization, immunity, and disease resistance of the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings

M. Ezzat, Said; M.A. El-Gamal, Refaat; S. Abd El-Naby, Asmaa; A.A. Abd El-Hamid, Samah; R. A. Mousa, Alaa

doi:10.21608/ejabf.2019.57931

The role of lectin in improving growth performance, feed utilization, immunity, and disease resistance of the Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

10.21608/ejabf.2019.57931

Abstract

There is an interesting in using of medical and aromatic plants or spices as feed additives in fish diets instead of chemical products to avoid side effects and achieve organic aquaculture. Feeding experiment was conducted to evaluate the growth of the Nile tilapia fingerlings fed four isonitrogenous (30% crude protein) experimental diets containing different levels 0.0% (control), 1.0%, 1.5%, or 2% of Moringa lectin (MLM). The diet containing 1.5% MLM resulted in signiﬁcantly greater (P < 0.05) speciﬁc growth rate (SGR), feed conversion ratio (FCR). Moreover, PER and APU values increased signiﬁcantly at MLM-supplemented diets. While, there was no significant difference among all treatments of MLM in EU%. In regard to body composition, there was no signiﬁcant difference in dry matter, lipids, and ash (P > 0.05) contents due to lectin supplementation. While, crude protein content increased signiﬁcantly by increasing the MLM levels (P<0.05). Blood plasma proﬁle showed an improvement in hemoglobin (HB), red blood cell (RBCS), hematocrite (Hct), WBCs, Lymphocytic, Monocytic, Granulocyte, glucose and gloubin, while, there was a decrease in total protein, total lipids, decrease in creatinine, urea, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and cholesterol in ﬁsh fed 1.5% MLM. Moringa lectin supplementation enhance non-specific immune response of O. niloticusaslysozyme activity and respiratory burst activity showed significant increase in group fed 1.5 MLM then group fed 2 % followed by 1 % than control group. Moringa lectin was found to have an antibacterial activity antagonistic to Aeromonas hydrophila infection in ﬁsh. Improvement in Superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), Catalase activity (CAT), Glutathione S-transferase (GST) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) activities were observed at 1.5% MLM activities which was consistent with the immune response. Performance and FCR improvement translated into a 22.74% decrease in feed costs associated with the 2% MLM diet.

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