Influence of Dietary Lipid Sources on the Growth Performance, Immune Response and Resistance of Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, to Streptococcus iniae Challenge

ABSTRACT

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of dietary lipid sources on growth performance, body proximate composition, hematology, immune response and resistance of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, to Streptococcus iniae infection. Six isocaloric (3.2 kcal/g) and isonitrogenous (34% crude protein) semi-purified diets were supplemented with 7% of various sources of lipid, namely, corn oil (CO), beef tallow (BT), menhaden fish oil (FO), linseed oil (LO), and equal combinations of FO+CO+BT or LO+CO+BT. Diets were fed to tilapia in quadruplicate aquaria to apparent satiation, twice daily for 12 weeks. Fish fed the BT-diet exhibited significantly lowest weight gain, diet intake, feed and protein efficiency ratios, apparent protein utilization, and survival. Whole-body protein and ash were significantly (P < 0.05) lowest and highest, respectively, for fish fed the beef tallow-diet, but the values of these parameters did not differ among fish fed other diets. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found among hematological values, except for fish fed the FO-diet which had abnormally high red and white blood cell counts. Serum protein concentration, lysozyme activity, and natural hemolytic complement activity were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in fish fed the BT-diet. The values of these parameters did not differ among fish fed other diets. Post-challenge antibody titer was not influenced by dietary lipid sources. Cumulative mortality 15 days post-challenge with S. iniae was significantly lower (P < 0.05) for fish fed the BT diet compared with those fed FO or FO+CO+BT diets. No significant differences were observed in fish fed other dietary lipid sources.

KEYWORDS:

• Lipid sources
• tilapia
• growth performance
• immune response
• disease resistance
• Oreochromis niloticus