Open AccessDietary addition of the essential oil from Lippia alba to Nile tilapia and its effect after inoculation with Aeromonas spp.
Author(s) -
Souza Renilde Cordeiro,
Souza Elizângela Maria,
Costa Mateus Matiuzzi,
Melo José Fernando Bibiano,
Baldisserotto Bernardo,
Copatti Carlos Eduardo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
aquaculture nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1365-2095
pISSN - 1353-5773
DOI - 10.1111/anu.12827
Subject(s) - nile tilapia , biology , oreochromis , aeromonas , lippia , zoology , tilapia , feed conversion ratio , globulin , inoculation , food science , veterinary medicine , fish <actinopterygii> , essential oil , fishery , body weight , bacteria , immunology , endocrinology , medicine , genetics
Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary addition of the essential oil from Lippia alba (EOLA) on growth performance, biochemical and haematological variables and survival after Aeromonas spp. infection of Nile tilapia juveniles ( Oreochromis niloticus ). Five diets were evaluated with increasing levels of EOLA (0.0 control; 0.25; 0.50; 1.0; and 2.0 ml/kg diet). After 45 days of feeding, the fish were infected with Aeromonas spp. followed by a 14‐day period of observation. There was no mortality during growth assessment. The addition of 2.0 ml EOLA /kg diet improved feed conversion ratio and condition factor and increased lysozyme activity and haematocrit (Hct), and decreased plasma globulin levels compared to the control group. The survival of fish infected with Aeromonas spp. was higher in those fed with 2.0 ml EOLA /kg diet than in fish fed with 0.0–0.5 ml EOLA /kg diet. We concluded that the inclusion of 2.0 ml EOLA /kg diet is recommended for Nile tilapia juveniles, because it improved feed conversion, Hct and immunological activity, did not provoke metabolic changes, and increased survival after Aeromonas spp. infection.