Dr. Cheryl AntonyDr. Vijay AmirtharajDr. R. Jeya ShakilaKarun Kant Yadava2022-08-102022-08-102021https://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810186170The present study deals with “Effect of Cassia alata, Clitoria ternatea, Leucas aspera on growth performance and haematological responses of GIFT Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)”. The research work was conducted in indoor wet laboratory, Department of Aquaculture, Fisheries College and Research Institute, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The leaves of Leucas aspera, Clitoria ternatea, and Cassia alata were collected from herb plots in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The leaves of medicinal plants (Leucas aspera, Clitoria ternatea and Cassia alata) were air dried and ground into powder. The herbal feeds were prepared by adding the prepared Lucas aspera, Clitoria ternatea and Cassia alata at levels of 1.5%, 2.0% and 2.5% to the basic feed (control diet). The diets were uniformly mixed, granulated and air dried. The prepared diet was stored in an airtight beaded pouches and stored at room temperature until the start of the experimental study. Leucas aspera, Clitoria ternatea and Cassia alata were subjected to qualitative tests for various bioactive components: flavonoids, phenols, cardiac glycosides, glycosides. The tests indicated that these bioactive components were present in the all three plants and terpenoids and quinones were absent. The seeds of GIFT were purchased from the Svara Biotechnovations tilapia farm in Madurai and shipped in oxygenated polyethylene bags. All seeds were acclimatized and stocked in stocking tanks at the rate of 10 fish per tank. After that, the seeds were treated with KMnO4 solution and then stocked in the 33 experimental tank. The experiment conducted had the treatments designated as control (C), Lucas aspera (T1), Clitoria ternatea (T2) and Cassia alata (T3) with each leaf at their inclusion levels, viz. 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5% and an antibiotic Oxytetracycline (T4). The average initial weight of the fish was 4.42 ± 0.56 g. Fishes were fed 3 times a day at 9:00 am, 13:00 pm and 17:00 pm for 60 days. The fish in the control group received the diet without herbs, while the fish in treatment 4 (T4) received 0.065% oxytetracycline (OTC) incorporated diet. At the end of experiment the average final weight was observed significantly higher in T1 (2.0%) 18.82 ± 0.28g followed by T2 (2.0%) 18.06 ± 0.26g, T3 (2.0%) 17.75 ± 0.18g and lowest was observed in control (15.89 ± 0.10g) and T4 (16.24 ± 0.16g). The growth performance of GIFT was recorded with significantly higher weight gain (14.45 ± 0.28g), weight gain percent ((330.65 ± 6.43), average daily gain ((0.24 ± 0.01) and specific growth rate (2.43 ± 0.02) in T1 (2%), feed conversion ratio (1.90 ± 0.02) in control while significantly lower weight gain was recorded in control (11.32 ± 0.10g) and T4 (11.63 ± 0.16g), The weight gain percent was lower (was lower (247.67 ± 2.18) 247.67 ± 2.18) in control and T4 (252.99 ± 3.50). The average daily weight gain also were lower in control ((0.19 ± 0.01)0.19 ± 0.01) and T4 (0.19 ± 0.01). The specific growth rate in control (2.08 ± 0.01) and T4 (2.10 ± 0.02) were lower compared to the other treatments. The feed efficiency ratio (0.58 ± 0.01), feed conversion efficiency (29.67 ± 0.57) and protein efficiency ratio (0.99 ± 0.02) was observed significantly higher in T1 2.0% while significantly lower feed efficiency ratio (0.53 ± 0.01), feed conversion efficiency (26.34 ± 0.23) and protein efficiency ratio (0.88 ± 0.01) was observed in control. The haematological parameters recorded were significantly higher with haemoglobin (13.58 ± 0.01) in T1 2.5%, (90.04 ± 1.60), leucocyte (WBCs) in T1 2.5% lymphocyte (53.14 ± 1.25) in T1 2.5%, hematocrit (22.26 ± 0.80), in T1 2.5% and eosinophils (0.51 ± 0.02) in T3 2.5%. The haematological parameters, haemoglobin recorded were significantly lower in control (7.25 ± 0.94) and T4 (8.05 ± 1.91), leucocyte (WBCs) were lower in control (63.15 ± 0.22) and T4 (70.30 ± 2.10) with lymphocyte lower in T4 (43.22 ± 0.98) and control (44.98 ± 1.37). The haematocrit was lower in control (17.33 ± 1.19) and T3 1.5% (19.58 ± 0.44), eosinophils in T4 (0.34 ± 0.01) and control (0.35 ± 0.01). The serum biochemical indices recorded with significantly higher serum protein (3.30 ± 0.13) and albumin (1.27 ± 0.11) in T1 2% while significantly lower levels were recorded with serum protein (2.47 ± 0.10) and albumin (0.67 ± 0.25) in T4. Digestive enzyme parameters were observed to be significantly higher with amylase in T1 2.5% (9.79 ± 0.10), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in control (16.04 ± 1.27) and T4 (15.98 ± 1.19), lipase in T3 2.5% (5.50 ± 0.04), protease in T1 2.5% (14.32 ± 0.13). Significantly lower amylase was observed in control (2.36 ± 0.16) and T4 (5.50 ± 0.35). Alkaline phosphatase was lower in T1 2.5% (7.15 ± 0.76) with lipase lower in control (2.06 ± 0.21) and T4 (2.76 ± 0.34), and lower protease was observed in control (7.38 ± 0.13) and T4 (11.16 ± 0.08).EnglishThesis