GENOTOXICITY AND HEAMATOLOGICAL PROFILE OF Clarias gariepinus FINGERLINGS FED WITH WALNUT LEAVES AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR RICE BRAN TO DETERMINE GROWTH PERFORMANCE

Simeon Oluwatoyin Ayoola*, Adekunle Doyin Idowu, Adebola Afolashade Bamiro
 
Department of Marine Sciences, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
*Corresponding Author:
email: sayoola@unilag.edu.ng,soaayoola@yahoo.com,
Tel: 234(80)34650102
 

Plant has become a preferred source of protein for fish species in aquaculture. A twelve week feeding trial was carried out in order to assess the effect of feeding walnut leaves on haematological and biochemical parameters as well as the genotoxicity level on Clarias gariepinus fingerlings as a bio-indicator of their health status and overall response of the fish towards the experimental diets. One hundred and fifty fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus of mean weight 6.90±0.2g were stocked randomly as ten fish per tank (52.5 X 33.5 X 21 cm3) in triplicate. Fish were fed to satiation and the water changed every day to maintain good water quality. Five experimental diets with 40% crude protein each were formulated; the control, without the test ingredient and the other four diets (test diets1, 2, 3 and 4) contained 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% inclusion respectively. The Control diet had the highest mean weight gain (P < 0.05) (118.8±17.3) among the entire group. Similar pattern was observed in specific growth rate. The least significant (P < 0.05) feed conversion ratio was recorded by the Control diet(0.68±0.03), the diet also recorded the best protein efficiency ratio (3.53±0.23).The genotoxicity test shows that  some Micro nucleus of the test diets were  normal, lobed and binucleacted nucleus compared to the Control diet. The fish fed with T. conophorum showed an increase  in haematological values of Parked Cell Volume (PCV),(0.37±0.08), Haemoglobin(HGB), (103.00±28.02) Red blood cell (RBC),(2.43±0.86),Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV),( 177.20±13.2),White Blood Cell (WBC,139.50±40.44) compared to the values of fish fed the control diet, PCV (0.26±0.11), HB (71.00±45.25), RBC (1.45±1.11), MCV(158.15±6.29), and WBC (121.10±28.1). The white blood cell showed no significant difference (p>0.05) among the fish in T1, T2, T3, and T4.There was reduction in the haematological values of the fish fed T. conophorum diet with mean haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) (28.85±3.32) and the Mean Corpuscular (MCH) (47.80±1.83) compared with the values of fish fed with the Control diet MCH (52.05±8.89), and MCHC (33.00±4.38). The fish fed with T. conophorum showed an increase  in biochemical value with AST (31.75±26.65), Urea(4.82±1.37), Creatinine (11.56±4.53) ALP(26.00±13.71), ALT(361.90±446.04) and TP(30.54±5.07) compared to the value of the Control diet,AST(9.05±20.5),Urea(4.72±0.31),ALT(65.10±8.76), Creatinine(9.92±5.11), ALP(17.90±17.6),  and TP(21.96±5.91). There was reduction in the biochemical values of the fish fed T. Conophorum with Cholesterol (2.20±0.05) Albumin (8.35±0.21) and Triglycyride (0.98±0.13) compared with the values of fish fed with the Control diet with Cholesterol (3.81±0.07) Albumin (12.35±2.33) and Triglycyride (7.29±7.02). It was concluded that using T. Conophorum leaves as feed for Clarias gariepinus enhances the growth of the fish. Therefore, partial replacement of feed T. Conophorum should be encouraged.