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Effects of dietary Khejri, Prosopis cineraria pod and seed extracts on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activities and body composition of Labeo rohita fingerlings

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Two consecutive 60-day feeding experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of incorporating Khejri pod and seed extract into the diet on the growth, nutrient utilization, and digestive enzyme activities of rohu ( Labeo rohita ) fingerlings. In initial screenings, ethanolic extracts from Khejri pod and seed meal showed outstanding antioxidant properties measured by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and total phenolic content (TPC) assays, along with notable antibacterial effects against Edwardsiella tarda and Aeromonas hydrophila . Iso-nitrogenous and iso-caloric diets were formulated for both experiments. In the first experiment, diets were enriched with varying levels of ethanolic Khejri pod extract (KPE; 0, 5, 10, and 20 g kg −1 ), while the second experiment included ethanolic Khejri seed extract (KSE; 0, 5, 10, and 20 g kg −1 ). In both experiments fish fed diets with 5 g kg −1 of either KPE or KSE exhibited superior growth rates, feed conversion efficiencies, and apparent net protein utilization (P < 0.05). Among digestive enzymes, protease and lipase activities were found to positively correlate with the growth performance of rohu fingerlings (P < 0.05), while amylase activities showed an inverse relationship with dietary levels of KPE and KSE (P < 0.05). With the exception of crude lipid content, no significant differences in whole-body composition were observed between control and dietary treatment groups (P > 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation with 5 g kg −1 ethanolic Khejri pod or seed extract proves to be an effective growth promoter, augmenting the growth performance and digestive enzyme activities of rohu ( L. rohita ) fingerlings.

Source: Discover Food

DOI: 10.1007/s44187-025-00354-1