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Evaluation of replacing hydrolyzed poultry by-product powder with fish meal on growth, body composition, and intestinal histomorphometry of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus
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Faeghe Habibzadeh-Ostad Kalaeeh   , Zahra Basir  , Rahim Peyghan , Rahim Abdi |
| Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz , z.basir@scu.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (29 Views) |
Background and Objectives: Aquaculture production has steadily increased in recent years. Feed costs now account for 30-60% of the total production cost of a culture system, indicating that the largest portion of aquaculture expenses relates to nutrition. Consequently, aquaculture farmers and scientists are collaborating to develop a diet that meets all the nutritional needs of fish while maintaining a reasonable overall cost.
Methods: For this purpose, 150 tilapia fish weighing 40-45 g were randomly allocated into five treatments with three replications. The fish were fed three times daily for 8 weeks with different diets. Throughout this period, the control group received a daily commercial diet containing 30% protein (100% fish meal diet). In comparison, the other groups were fed diets containing 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% hydrolyzed poultry by-product powder as a substitute for fish meal.
Findings: Following the study, growth indices, carcass composition measurements, and histomorphometric tests were conducted on the fish intestines. In this experiment, the lowest growth indices and the highest changes were observed in the 20% fish meal replacement treatment compared to the control treatment. The results indicated that the feed conversion ratio, profit index, and protein efficiency ratio in the 15% replacement group surpassed those of all other groups. In terms of carcass composition, the highest levels of total protein and fat were recorded in the 15% replacement group. Histological examinations revealed no tissue destruction in the different groups compared to the control treatment; however, the 20% replacement group displayed slight infiltration of inflammatory cells and tissue destruction. On the other hand, histometric studies of intestinal villi in the 15% replacement group indicated increased length and width of the villi, suggesting improved nutrient absorption.
Conclusion: The summary of these data indicates that hydrolyzed poultry by-product powder can replace fish meal up to 15% in tilapia diets without adversely affecting growth performance and intestinal histological parameters. |
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| Keywords: Poultry by-product, Fish meal, Histomorphometry, Nile tilapia |
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Type of Study: Research/ Original/ Regular Article |
Subject:
Fisheries and Aquaculture
Received: 2025/07/4 | Revised: 2025/12/23 | Accepted: 2025/12/6
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