Impacts of algae supplements (Arthrospira & Chlorella) on growth, nutrient variables, intestinal efficacy, and antioxidants in New Zealand white rabbits.

An 8-week trial to examine the impacts of Arthrospira platensis and Chlorella vulgaris on the growth, nutrient aspects, intestinal efficacy, and antioxidants of 75 New Zealand white male rabbits (initial body weight = 665.93 ± 15.18 g). Herein the study was designed in one-way ANOVA to compare the effects of the two algae species with two levels of supplementations in the feeds of New Zealand white rabbits. The rabbits were divided into five groups (n = 15/group), where the first group was allocated as the control group (Ctrl) while the second and third groups received A. platensis at 300 or 500 mg/kg diet (Ap300 or Ap500). The fourth and fifth groups fed C. vulgaris at 300 or 500 mg/kg diet (Ch300 or Ch500). The basal diet rabbits exhibited the lowest values of weight, lipase, protease, and the highest feed conversion ratio, which improved noticeably with algae addition, particularly with Ap500, Ch300, and Ch500. All tested groups showed normal intestinal structure. Amylase potency, hematological indicators, and serum biochemistry revealed non-significant variation except for a higher serum total protein and lower total cholesterol in algal groups. The best GPx existed in groups fed algal diets, while favorable SOD and CAT efficiency occurred at the higher level of Arthrospira and both levels of Chlorella. In conclusion, incorporating Arthrospira or Chlorella in the diet of New Zealand white rabbits improved performance, nutrient utilization, intestinal efficacy, and antioxidants. Arthrospira (Ap500) and Chlorella (Ch300 or Ch500) have almost the same beneficial effect on rabbit performance.

Dietary Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) enhanced the growth performance, antioxidative capacity, immune response and ameliorated stress-related markers induced by hypoxia stress in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Nile tilapia can tolerate a wide range of farming conditions; however, fluctuations in the environmental conditions may impair their health status. The incorporation of medicinal herbs in aquafeed is suggested to overcome stressful conditions. In this study, dietary Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia) was evaluated on the growth performance, antioxidative capacity, immune response, and resistance of Nile tilapia against hypoxia stress. Fish fed five diets incorporated with Guduchi at 0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 g/kg for 56 days then exposed with hypoxia stress for 72 h. The growth performance, feed intake, and feed efficiency ratio were significantly (P < 0.05) increased by including Guduchi in tilapia diets regardless of the inclusion level. Similarly, the lipase and protease activities were markedly (P < 0.05) increased in tilapia fed dietary Guduchi. The activities of lysozyme and bactericidal activities in serum and mucus, nitro-blue tetrazolium (NBT), and alternative complement activity (ACH50) were markedly (P < 0.05) enhanced in tilapia treated with Guduchi supplements regardless of the dose. Additionally, the activities of liver and intestinal superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase were markedly enhanced (P < 0.05) by including Guduchi in tilapia diets compared with the control. Before and after hypoxia stress, tilapia-fed dietary Guduchi had lower glucose and cortisol levels than fish-fed Guduchi-free diets (P < 0.05). In all groups, glucose and cortisol levels were markedly higher after hypoxia compared before hypoxia stress (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary Guduchi can be included at 5.17-5.49 g/kg to enhance the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, immune and antioxidative responses, and the resistance of Nile tilapia against hypoxia stress.

Assessing the effectiveness of CoQ10 dietary supplementation on growth performance, digestive enzymes, blood health, immune response, and oxidative-related genes expression of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of CoQ10 dietary supplementation on growth performance, feed utilization, blood profile, immune response, and oxidative status of Nile tilapia (12.4 ± 0.11 g, initial body weight). Five experimental diets were formulated containing CoQ10 at levels of 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 mg kg-1 diet (D1, D2, D3, D4, and D5, respectively). The results of a 56-days feeding trial showed that, significantly higher weight gain % (WG %), specific growth rate (SGR), feed intake (FI), and feed efficiency ratio (FER) were recorded in fish groups fed diets supplemented with different levels of CoQ10 than fish fed the control diet, while survival rate (SR%), condition factor (CF), hepatosomatic index (HSI) and viscerasomatic index (VSI) showed no obvious differences (P > 0.05) among all experimental groups. The highest activities of digestive enzymes (protease, amylase, and lipase) were recorded in D3, D4, and D5 groups. Moreover, blood status of all experimental fish was within normal rates and significant alterations were only in the case of glucose, cortisol, total cholesterol (T-Chol), triglycerides, and total protein (TP), where fish fed on D3, D4 and D5 diets exhibited lower values of glucose, cortisol, T-Chol, and triglycerides and higher values of TP. Furthermore, the lowest values of immune response [lysozyme, bactericidal, respiratory burst (NBT), and alternative complement pathway activities (ACP)], antioxidant capacity and oxidative related genes expressions [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX)] resulted from feeding on the basal diet (D1) compared to CoQ10 diets, especially with its high levels {≥20 mg kg-1 diet (D3, D4, and D5)} in most cases. In conclusion, our results suggest that the use of ≥20 mg CoQ10 kg-1 diet improves the growth and health being of Nile tilapia.