The study assessed the effects of Pawpaw Leaves (PL) and Bitter Leaves (BL) extracts and Chloramphenicol (CHRL) on the growth, feed conversion efficiency and disease resistance of Clarias gariepinus juveniles against infection with Aeromonas hydrophila. Clarias gariepinus juveniles were fed with diets composed of control (0%), BL2 (1%), BL3 (2%), PL4 (1%), PL5 (2%), CHRL6 (15 mg/kg diet), BL + PL7 (2%), BL + CHRL8 (2%), PL + CHRL9 (2%), BL + PL + CHRL10 (3%) at 3% body weight, with 15 fish per replicate were carried out for 4 weeks. Mean Weight Gain (MWG) and Specific Growth Rate (SGR) were measured. Also, packed cell volume, white blood cell, red blood cell, total protein, globulin and Albumin were determined using standard methods. Clarias gariepinus juveniles were inoculated with A. hydrophila at 6.33 log10 CFU/ml intraperitoneally and fed with different diets to assess the percentage mortality and their relative percent survival (RPS). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at p = .05. Fish from treated groups had higher growth rate than the control. The results indicated that fish fed with treated diets showed increase in haematological indices and plasma biochemical (p < .05) compared to control. The challenge infection showed an improvement from treated groups compared to control. The result suggested that PL and BL extracts at 2% inclusion and combination of both plants and chloramphenicol (BL + PL + CHRL) for 4 weeks would positively enhanced growth, haematology, plasma biochemistry and make C. gariepinus juveniles more resistance to A. hydrophila infection.

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An 8-week feed trial was conducted in glass tanks (60×30×30cm) to assess the performance of fingerlings Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed diets containing soybean meals processed by toasting and incubation methods. Six diets were formulated at 30% crude protein content with 0 (control), 2,000 units, 4,000 units, 6,000 units, 8,000 units and 10,000 units phytase/kg diet making diet/treatments. Each treatment was replicated twice, each replicate contained 15 fish (6.23 ± 0.1g). Fish were fed twice daily at 5% of their body weight. Mean Weight Gain (MWG), Specific Growth Rate (SGR), Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) and Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) were measured. Temperature, Dissolved oxygen and pH were determined using standard methods. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and ANOVA at p= 0.05. Results showed that fish fed diet 5 (8,000 units phytase/kg diet) had the best growth and nutrient utilization indices while fish fed the control diet (0 unit phytase/kg diet) had the poorest. The SGR, FCR and PER of the group of fish fed diets with 0, 2,000, 4,000, 6,000 and 10,000 units phytase/kg diet were not significantly difference (p > 0.05), while the SGR, FCR and PER of fishes fed diet with 8,000 units phytase/kg diet were significantly (p < 0.05) better than those of the fishes fed other diets. The values of temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH were closely related and were within the range for fish culture in the tropics. The results suggest that phytase inclusion in the diet of O. niloticus could be a potential and promising dietary supplementation that would positively influence growth and water quality of O. niloticus in aquaculture.

This study investigated the efficacy of Tamarind Leaves (TL) and Mango Leaves (ML) with Oxytetracycline (OXY) on growth performance, haematoimmunological and disease resistance of Clarias gariepinus juveniles against Aeromonas hydrophila. Experimental diets consist of control (0%), TL2 (1%), TL3 (2%), ML4 (1%), ML5 (2%), OXY6 (30mg/kg diet), (TL+ML) 7, (TL+OXY) 8, (ML+OXY) 9 and (TL+ML+OXY) 10. The fish (3.02±0.01g) were replicated twice with 20 fish per replicate and were fed twice daily at 3% body weight of 40% crude protein for twelve weeks (8 weeks for feeding trial and 4 weeks for challenge test). Mean Weight Gain (MWG), Specific Growth Rate (SGR), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Haemoglobin (Hb), Lymphocytes (LYM), Globulin (GLO), Amino Alanine Transferase (ALT) and Aspertate Amino Transferase (AST) contents were ascertained using standard technique. The fish were infected with A. hydrophila at 5.94 log10 CFU/ml interperitoneally and fed different diets to evaluate their Relative Percent of Survival (RPS). Data was subjected to descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance at P=0.05. Clarias gariepinus juveniles fed treated diets had higher growth rates than the control diet but C. gariepinus fed (TL+ML+OXY) 10 had a significantly higher MWG and SGR of 7.74±0.69 g and 0.97±0.01 g, respectively. The PCV (44.0±2.00%), Hb (14.7±2.00 g/dl), LYM (37.0±2.00), GLO (42.0 ±2.00 g/dl) were higher in the C. gariepinus fed (TL+ML+OXY) 10 than the control diet. The AST and ALT values among the treated groups were lower than the values in the control at the post-challenge test. The RPS against A. hydrophila was higher in the treated groups (100%) than in the control (0%). Fish fed tamarind and mango leaves had enhanced mean weight gain and were more resistant to A. hydrophila infection.

Effects of acute and sub-lethal concentration of Datura stramonium on growth and some haematological indices on fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus were investigated. Acute lethal toxicity (LC50) of D. stramonium leaves extracts for 48 hours exposures of C. gariepinus were determined at 0.2 ml/L. Clarias gariepinus fingerlings (4.22±0.01g) were exposed to D. stramonium at 0.00, 0.002, 0.02 and 0.2 ml/L for 28 daysand 10 days withdrawal. Each treatment was stocked 20 fish per replicate and replicated twice. Growth indices, haematological parameters, and histology were determined. The result shows a general increase within the weightgain among the treatments but the value decreases as the concentration of D. stramonium increases. The haematological response to D. stramonium exposures was very variable relative to the exposed concentration. Theresult obtained after 10 days withdrawal of haematology was relatively almost like the values obtained within the control and before the experiment. Histology revealed the gills, liver and intestines of C. gariepinus for the control shows no lesions, while the exposed groups recorded like moderate lamellar atrophy, and moderate diffuse hepatocellular degeneration. The results indicate that the exposure to sub-lethal levels of D. stramonium impacted on the growth, blood profiles, and histology of the exposed fish.

In this study, the potential benefits of ten edible leaves (Manihot esculents, cassava leaf; Colocasia esculenta, cocoyam leaf; Talinum triagulare, water leaf; Telfairia occidentalis, fluted pumpkin leaf; Carica papaya, pawpaw leaf; Amaranthus chlorostachys, green leaf; Moringa oleifare, drumstick leaf; Vernonia amygdalina, bitter leaf; Ipomoea batatas, sweet potato leaf and Basella alba, Malabar spinach ‘Amunututu’ to aquatic animal nutrition and health were studied along with proximate, mineral and phytochemical compositions. Results show that theses edible leaves were a good source of protein and the highest crude protein was obtained in C. papaya (32.6%) while the lowest in C. esculenta (14.7%). The highest and lowest total ash was found in T. triagulare (34.6%) and C. papaya (11%) respectively. The result showed that the edible leaves are rich in wide variety of secondary metabolites of phytochemical constituents such as tannins, alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, glycosides oxalates and phytate which can act against different diseases. Results suggest that inclusion of edible leaves may be nutritionally beneficial and this could promote growth, immune system and enhance disease resistance properties and subsequently very potential to reduce the cost of highly priced supplementary feeds.

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