Using of natural plants as immunostimulant in fish is more useful than antibacterial drugs that cause adversely side effects for fish, environment and consumers. Therefore, the present study was to investigate the effects of dietary turmeric (Curcuma longa), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris) as feed additives on growth performance, proximate composition and some immuno-hematological parameters on Nile tilapia. Four nitrogenous (31.43-31.56 % crude protein) and isocaloric (17.90-18.04 kJ/g) diets were formulated to contain 0% (control), 1% of turmeric, rosemary or thyme, respectively. The results reveled that, supplementation with medicinal herbs significantly increased (P<0.05) weight gain, specific growth rates and protein efficiency ratio (PER) compared to those in the control group. Moreover, the medicinal herb additives had insignificant effect on carcass composition and some biochemical composition. Hematocrit and leukocrit levels in the fish fed with turmeric, rosemary and thyme added diet were found to be significantly (P <0.05) higher than the control group. However, leukocyte level among the experimental groups was not significantly differed (P >0.05). In neutrophils of experimental fish groups, there were higher numbers of NBT (+) cells fixed on lamellas than those of the control group. So, based on the current findings together with the low cost and the immunostimulative effect of turmeric, rosemary and thyme it can be recommended to be used in fish feed to minimize the mortalities caused by some pathogens.
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of including marine and freshwater algae in rabbit diets on their performance, digestibility, carcass characteristics, and blood metabolites. One hundred growing male rabbits, aged 30 d and weighing 783.5 ± 2.01 g initial body weight, were randomly assigned to five treatment groups (n ¼ 20 rabbits). Five comparable dietary groups were formulated as follows: the control diet was a basal diet without aquatic plants inclusion, while the diets for the other four treatments included the basal diet plus 4% of marine algae (U. lactuca and P. capillacea) or freshwater algae (S. polyrrhiza and C. aegagropila). Compared with the control group, final body weight, daily weight gain, and feed conversion ratio improved significantly in UL group; followed by those in PC and SP groups (p < .05). Total digestible nutrients and digestible crude protein increased significantly in UL, PC and SP groups. Rabbits in the CA group had lower nitrogen intake, N digested, and N balance decreased than the other groups (p < .05). The UL group had dressing weight and meat protein significant increases, but the SP and CA groups had significant increases in liver, kidney, and spleen weights (p < .05). Including marine and freshwater algae reduced (p < .05) total lipids, total bilirubin, triglycerides, and cholesterol especially in the UL and PC groups, and similarly, HDL and LDL levels were lower in the UL, PC, and SP groups compared to the CA and control groups. In conclusion, the responses in performance, digestibility, and blood metabolites suggest that aquatic plants (with the exception of CA) have the potential to be a sustainable feedstock for growing rabbits' diets. HIGHLIGHTSUlva lactuca, Pterocladia capillacea and Spirodela polyrrhiza improve rabbits' performance. Marine and freshwater algae inclusion showed no signs of disease. Marine and freshwater algae reduced total lipids, triglycerides, and cholesterol.
This experiment was conducted to study the effect of using biological treatment by (Trichoderma reesei), to reduce the content of antinutritional factors in watermelon vines and improvement their nutritive value and the possibility of using it in animal nutrition and its effect on productive performance of growing lambs. Fifty male Barki lambs at 6 to 8 months of age with an average live body weight 24.49 ±0.2 Kg were divided into five similar groups according to their live body weight (10 lambs for each). They were randomly assigned to receive the five experimental rations where control group was fed 50% concentrate feed mixture (CFM) plus 50% berseem hay (BH ) on dry DM basis (R1) and the other four groups R2, R3, R4 and R5 were fed rations containing 25 or 50 % untreated watermelon vines hay (WMVH) and treated with Trichoderma reesei fungi (WMVF), respectively. Animals were fed the five respective rations in groups. The growth experiment lasted for sex months. Results showed that degradation of antinutritional factors was more efficient when WMV hay biologically treated with fungi (Trichoderma reesei). The values of antinutritional factors of the watermelon vines reduced as follows: total phénols by 53.43%, total tannins 71.38%, saponins 63.67%, alkaloids 44.02% and flavonoids 16.98%, compared with untreated vines. Control ration (R1) and the tested ration (R4) had higher DM intake than the other tested ones (R2, R3 and R5), being ration R3 had the lowest value. Animal fed R4 showed more soluble, degradable, less undegradable fractions and more effective degradability. The values of final body weight, total body weight gain and daily gain were significant lower for tested rations R2, R3 and R5 than those of control one (R1), while the tested ration R4 was similar in these values with those of control one, being the highest values among all tested rations. The feed conversion as (g DMI/g gain) was worse with all tested rations related to that of control one, whereas R4 had the best feed conversion value among all tested ones. The values of feed conversion recorded 6.93 and 7.05 for R1 & R4 and 8.22 & 8.73 for R2 and R5, respectively, while the worst value was recorded with R3 (8.96). The feed cost was decreased by 11.98 and 25.62 for R2 & R3 (rations which contained 25 or 50% untreated watermelon vines) and 11.78 & 24.59 for R4 and R5 (rations which contained 25 or 50% watermelon vines treated with fungi) respectively, compared with the figure of control one (R1). The economic efficiency improved by 23.64% for R4 compared with control group (R1) and the other tested rations (R2, R3 and R5). The results could be indicated the possibility of introducing biologically treated watermelon vines with fungi in growing lambs rations up to 25% (i.e. 50% in replacing of berseem hay) to reduce the feed costs without harmful effects on their performance and health.
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