Effect of dietary encapsulated butyric acid (ButiPEARL™) on the growth and feed utilization in hybrid catfish (Clarias macrocephalus x Clarias gariepinus)

Poh Soon Chan*, Alfred Chua, and Kah Heng Liong.
 
 Kemin Industries
 12 Senoko Drive, Singapore 758200.
 pohsoon.chan@kemin.com

Butyric acid is an integral short-chain fatty acid acting as an energy source for epithelial cells. It improves gut health through development of the intestinal epithelium by increasing cell proliferation. ButiPEARL™ is an encapsulated form containing minimum 45% of calcium butyrate which is embedded in a matrix of vegetable oils and sugars. This encapsulation technology allows sustain release of calcium butyrate throughout the intestinal tract.

A 12-weeks feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the effects of encapsulated calcium butyrate (ButiPEARL™) on growth and feed utilization of hybrid catfish. In this experiment, the catfishes were randomly divided into 3 groups of 15 fish with 1 control group and 2 treatment groups, each group have 3 replicates. The experiment was conducted for 3 and a half months. The fish were kept for 1 week in the fish tank prior to the start of the experiment for them to adapt to the environment. Following that, the fish were fed with three experimental diets containing 0.5 kg/MT and 1.0 kg/MT of ButiPEARL™ respectively or none of these supplements (control diet) for 3 months.

The final results showed that 1.0kg/MT ButiPEARL™ feed fish group gave the heaviest final body weight (151.8 g/fish) compared to the control group (120.2 g/fish) and 0.5 kg/MT ButiPEARL™ feed fish group (140.0 g/fish). This suggests that butyric acid in the diet enhance feed utilization for growth performance. The body weight of all treatment groups were significantly different (P<0.05) compared to from the control group, and fish fed with 1.0 kg/MT of ButiPEARL™ had the highest body weight gained with Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) improvement of 29 points and 25 points respectively over the control.

In conclusion, ButiPEARL™ shows significant (p<0.05) improvement with on performance (41.7% more in weight gain) and feed utilization (18.4% improvement in FCR) in catfish.