ISSN:
1365-2095
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
The nutritional value and the possibilities of utilization of the aquatic weed, Nymphoides cristatum as feed for young Labeo rohita, were evaluated in terms of growth, conversion efficiency, specific activity of digestive enzymes, bio-chemical composition of flesh and microbial composition of intestine (cellulolytic bacteria), in a 60-day laboratory feeding trial. The daily dry matter (DM) intake of the control diet (FC) prepared with mustard oil cake:rice bran (3:7) and aquatic weed (FN) prepared with N. cristatum leaf meal was 4918 and 5948 mg, digestible DM of 4179 and 5185 mg and digestible energy (DE) of 53.56 and 84.33 kJ kg–1 fish, respectively. The specific growth rate was 3.18 and 3.8 with the control diet and the weed, respectively. Fish fed with the weed showed better average daily gain (ADG%), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and protein efficiency ratio (PER). The specific activity of proteolytic and amylolytic enzymes showed significant increase (P 〈 0.001) in fish fed with the weed. Culture of intestinal mucosa revealed the presence of cellulolytic bacteria, the count per cm being higher in the intestinal bulb (3.70 × 104–4.32 × 104) followed by middle intestine (2.16 × 104–2.29 × 104) and posterior intestine (1.26 × 103–1.35 × 103) in the fish fed with the diet FN as compared with the diet FC. The preliminary study indicate the possibilities of incorporation of the aquatic weed, N. cristatum in the diet of L. rohita substituting conventional feed ingredients.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2095.2002.00180.x
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