Effects of herbal growth promoter feed additive in fish meal on the performance of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus (L.))

Abstract

The effect of dietary herbal powder (superliv®) on growth and body compositionwas investigated in Oreochromis niloticus.Fingerlings of about 5.24 ± 0.60 g were fed diets supplemented with fourconcentrations (2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10 g kg−1) of herbal powder foreight weeks. Survival, specific growth rate, feed efficiency, proximatecomposition and haematological parameters were higher in fish given herbaldiets than fish given the control diet without herbs. The highest specific growth rate (1.33 ± 0.03 % day–1) andbest food conversion ratio (0.85 ± 0.03) were obtained in the 10 g kg−1 herbmeal diet treatment. Protein efficiency ratio and feed efficiency were higherin fish fed with herbs and lowest in the control. No differences occurred infish carcass protein or ash content among the treatments (p > 0.05). Theseresults reveal that medicinal herbs in diets enhance growth, feed utilisation and survival of O. niloticus fingerlings.