Performance and hematological variables of piavuçu whose diets were supplemented with phytobiotic and probiotic additives

Abstract

The performance and hematologic responses of juvenile piavuçu fish (Leporinus macrocephalus) that werefed with feeds containing garlic, cinnamon, and yeast before being submitted to stress from capture were evaluated. The experiment was conducted in the Fish Nutrition Laboratory (Laboratório de Alimentação e Nutrição de Peixes), where 192 piavuçu juveniles (3.09 ± 0.8 g) were distributed among 16 tanks (170 L), with a density of 12 fish per tank. The experiment consisted of four treatments and four repetitions. Treatments included the addition of 10 g Kg-1 garlic, 10 g Kg-1 cinnamon, and 9x105 UFC g-1 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, in addition to a control diet that included no additives. The performance, body indices, and survival of the fish were evaluated. After the performance test, the fish were submitted to stress from capture, and the effect of the additives as a stress reducer was evaluated through hematologic analyses. Better weight gain and feed conversion ratios (P?0.05) were observed in the fish fed with diets containing garlic and cinnamon; however, no alterations were noticed in the nutritional composition of fish carcasses, regardless of the treatment they were submitted to. A reduction in the number of leukocytes of the fish submitted to stress in all treatments was verified. It is possible to conclude that diets supplemented with garlic and cinnamon at the level of 10 g Kg-1 led to a better performance, while not influencing the hematologic standards after the stress from capture.

Keywords

• Aquafarming; Garlic; Cinnamon; Leporinus macroencephalus; Nutrition; Saccharomyces Cerevisae