COMPARATIVE GROWTH AND FATTY ACID PROFILE OF OREOCHROMIS NILOTICUS FED PLANT AND ANIMAL ORIGIN FAT SUPPLEMENTED FEED

Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was examined with 4 % animal (Fish oil) and plant (Soybean oil) origin fat supplemented feed to evaluate the fatty acid profile and growth performance. For ten weeks, 15 fish per treatment were fed three times a day at 7 % of body weight in triplicate. The study of fish growth parameters i.e. body weight and total length revealed a highly significant differences at the end of trial. The percentage weight gain was 18.99%, 51.3% and 31.11% in the three treatments T₀ (control), T₁ (soybean oil) and T₂ (fish oil) correspondingly. The highest SGR value was 0.84 displayed by the soya bean oil and lowest was 0.03 displayed by control. The FCR observed was 8.3 in control_, 2.76 in soybean oil treatment and 4.2 in fish oil treatment. As the proximate body composition, the higher value of ash (3.8%), lipid content (7.8%) and protein content (14.5%) were observed in fish oil treated treatment, as compared to soybean oil treated samples ash (3.18%), lipid (7.4%) and protein content (14.4%). The gas chromatography analysis showed that fatty acid (FA) profile showed significant differences. Large number of PUFAs was detected in soya bean oil treated fish as compared to fish oil treated fish. The saturated fatty acids detected in soya bean oil treated fish were Stearic acid, Capric acid and Caproic acid ; and monounsaturated fatty acids were Myristolic acid (C14:1, 19.3%) and Oleic acid (C18:1, 3.5%), and polyunsaturated fatty acids were Docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3, 1.9%), C18:2 n-6 Linoleic acid (11.2%), EPA (C20:5n-3, 0.35%), Arachidonic acid (C20:4, 13.8%) and Decosapentaenoic acid (C22:5n-3, 6.6%). Whereas, the fatty acids were detected in the fish oil treated fish were Caproic acid, EPA (C20:5n-3, 0.91%), Docosahexaenoic acid (8.3%), DPA (1.4%) and Oleic acid (C18:1, 1.8%). In conclusion it is revealed that dietary supplementation of plant origin fat (soybean oil) in feed not only increased FCR but also modified the fish fatty acids profile and growth of Oreochromis niloticus significantly as compare to animal origin fat (fish oil).