The use of bitter kola <i>Garcinia kola</i> dry seed powder as a natural growth promoting agent for African sharptooth catfish <i>Clarias gariepinus</i> fingerlings

Abstract

The effect of dietary Garcinia kola seed meal on growth and body composition was investigated in catfish Clarias gariepinus. Fingerlings of about 50 g were fed diets supplemented with four concentrations (50, 100, 150 and 200 g kg^-1) of G. kola seed powder for eight weeks. Fish fed supplemented diets showed significantly improved growth performance and feed utilisation over the control (0 g kg^-1 G. kola seed meal) treatment. The highest specific growth rate (2.24 ± 0.12% day^–1) and best food conversion ratio (6.31 ± 0.02) were obtained in the 100 g kg^-1 G. kola seed meal diet treatment. Protein efficiency ratio and feed efficiency were higher in fish fed with G. kola seed meal and lowest in the controls. No differences occurred in fish carcass moisture, protein or ash content among the treatments (p > 0.05). The results suggest that dietary supplementation with G. kola seed powder improved growth rate, feed utilisation and survival of C. gariepinus fingerlings.

Keywords: blood parameters, feed efficiency, feed utilisation, growth performance, survival

African Journal of Aquatic Science 2011, 36(1): 97–100