article · Aquaculture Reports
Adding gotu kola powder to the feed of Nile tilapia fingerlings enhances their immune responses without altering growth or survival rates. An investigation testing diets supplemented with zero, five, ten, and twenty grams of gotu kola powder per kilogram over sixty-one days revealed distinct physiological effects. Tilapia receiving five grams per kilogram demonstrated improved lysozyme and peroxidase activities in their skin mucus. Furthermore, fish fed five and ten grams per kilogram exhibited significant increases in serum lysozyme, serum peroxidase, alternative complement activity, phagocytosis, and respiratory burst activity. The highest inclusion level of twenty grams per kilogram produced no significant immune advantages compared with the control feed. Throughout the trial, growth performance, feed conversion ratios, and survival remained statistically unchanged across all groups, showing that the herbal additive functions specifically as an immune stimulant rather than a growth promoter.
Fish farming frequently requires methods to support the health and natural defences of stock without relying on synthetic chemical treatments. Demonstrating that a plant-derived additive stimulates both skin mucus and blood-based immune responses gives fish farmers and aquafeed manufacturers a natural candidate to bolster disease resistance in fingerlings during vulnerable early development stages.
This work represents early-stage dietary testing relevant to aquafeed manufacturers and tilapia producers seeking natural immunostimulants. The findings identify an effective inclusion range of five to ten grams per kilogram to boost mucosal and serum immunity. Moving towards commercial adoption would require further trials to evaluate cost efficiency and real-world disease protection, as the additive provides immune benefits without boosting growth performance or feed conversion efficiency.
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The present study was conducted to assess the possible effects of gotu kola (Centella asiatica) powder (GKP) on skin mucus and serum immune response, as well as growth performance of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. Three hundred twenty Nile tilapia fingerlings (average weight of 17.84 ± 0.08 g) were divided into four treatments and fed four levels of gotu kola powder (GKP) as following 0, 5, 10, and 20 g kg−1 diet for 61 days. Completed Randomised Design with four replications was applied. The results showed that fish fed 5 g kg−1 GKP significantly improved skin mucus lysozyme (SMLA) and skin mucus peroxidase activities (SMPA) (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences in SMLA and SMPA were observed in fish fed 10 and 20 g kg−1 GKP compared to the control group (P > 0.05). For serum immunity, dietary administration of GKP showed significantly improved serum lysozyme and serum peroxidase activities compared to control group (P < 0.05). The highest value was found in fish fed 5 and 10 g kg−1 GKP (P < 0.05). Similarly, a significant increase in alternative complement (ACH50), phagocytosis, and respiratory burst activities were recorded in fish fed 5 and 10 g kg−1 GKP compared to the control (P < 0.05). However, no significance was observed in fish fed 20 g kg−1 GKP compared to the control. Similarly, no significant difference in growth performance, feed conversion ratio, and survival rate was observed in fish fed GKP compared to the control. In summary, diets supplemented with GKP (10 g kg−1) increased serum and mucosal immunity. However, GKP supplementations had no effects on Nile tilapia growth and survival rate.
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DOI: 10.1016/j.aqrep.2019.100239
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