Growth performance, feed utilization and survival of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus Burchell, 1822) fed diets supplemented with Detarium microcarpum Guill. & Perr. stem bark hydroethanolic extract

Plant extracts are increasingly investigated as natural feed additives in aquaculture because of their potential to improve growth, feed utilization, and fish health. This study was conducted to evaluate effects of dietary supplementation with Detarium microcarpum Guill. & Perr. stem bark hydroethanolic extract on growth and feed utilization of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822). Four experimental diets were formulated to contain 0 (T0, control), 200 (T1), 300 (T2), and 400 mg (T3) of extract per kg of feed. A total of 180 fish (5.58 g/fish), were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments, with three replicate per treatment (15 fish/hapa and 45 fish/treatment) and fed to apparent satiation three times daily. After the 73-day feeding trial, dietary supplementation had no significant effect on growth performance, feed utilization, or survival (p > 0.05). Weight gain ranged from 77 ± 34 (T0) to 88 ± 48 g (T3) and daily weight gain ranged from 1.05 ± 0.47 (T0) to 1.20 ± 0.66 g/day (T3). The specific growth rate ranged from 3.51 ± 0.56 (T0) to 3.70 ± 0.70 %/day (T2). Feed conversion ratio was 1.41 ± 0.19 in T0 and ranged from 1.29 ± 0.06 to 1.34 ± 0.11 in the supplemented groups. The survival rate was 91.12 ± 3.83 % in the control group and ranged from 84.41 ± 7.69 to 86.71 ± 6.74 % in the supplemented groups. Further studies using a broader dose range are needed to determine the potential of D. microcarpum bark as an aquaculture feed additive.