Growth performance and hematological effects of varying dietary processed leucaena leucocephala seed meal in clarias gariepinus (burchell, 1822) juveniles

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study investigated growth performance and hematological effects of varying dietary processed Leucaena leucocephala seed meal (LSM) in Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) juveniles. Seeds of L. leucocephala were processed by soaking in water for 72 hours in order to improve their nutritional quality as a protein source for aquaculture. Five isonitrogenous diets (40% crude protein) containing different dietary levels of processed leucaena seed meals (LSM) at 0, 25, 50, 75 and 100% proportions of fishmeal were fed to Clarias gariepinus juveniles (21.25 ± 1.18 g average weight) for 70 days. The processed leucaena seeds and the five diets prepared were analyzed for their proximate composition. Data were collected on fish growth, feed consumption pattern and haematology. At the end of the experiment, dietary leucaena seed meal produced positive growth effect in fish under all the treatments. Growth performance and feed utilization efficiency of fish fed dietary LSM was inferior with increasing LSM inclusions as weight gain reduced from 26.49 ± 0.62g in diet 1 (0% LSM) to 20.25 ± 0.10g in diet 5 (100% LSM). There was, however, no significant difference between the weights gains, protein efficiency ratio (PER), feed conversion ratio (FCR) and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed on 0% and 25% LSM diets (p>0.05). Haematology of experimental fish also was significantly inferior (p<0.05) at higher dietary LSM inclusion especially at values from 50% inclusion and above. The superior growth performance, nutrient utilization and haematology status of experimental fish at lower LSM inclusion levels (0 and 25%) could be as a result of higher protein quality inferred through the estimation of PER, which can be attributed to well balanced amino acids constituents of fishmeal. Inclusion of LSM at 25% in Clarias gariepinus (catfish) diet produced the best growth rate while the 50% inclusion rate requires further study in order to increase its utilization efficiency in fish production.