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Probiotic supplements have the potential to improve the gut flora and enhance nutritional efficacy and blood indices. In this study, sunflower seed meal based diet (SFM) supplemented with a commercial probiotic (protexin®) was examined to evaluate the effects on the survival, growth, digestibility, antioxidant status, carcass and hematology of Cirrhinus mrigala fingerlings. Fish were subjected to a 12-week feeding regimen to examine the efficacy of probiotics. Seven diets with different probiotic doses (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 g kg−1) were prepared and randomly assigned to 21 tanks, each stocked with 15 fingerlings, resulting in a total of 315 fish utilized forthe experiment. Analysis showed that fish treated 2 g kg−1 probiotics level exhibited a remarkable 100% survival rate. The results indicated that probiotics (2 g kg−1) supplementation revealed notable differences in weight gain (19.76 g), weight gain% (283.15%), FCR (1.31) and SGR (1.49% d−1) than other probiotic concentrations and control. The dietary administration of 2 g kg−1 probiotics to C. mrigala resulted in significant improvements in digestibility, with values of 70.52% for protein, 70.30% for gross energy, and 73.71% for fat. Carcass composition also showed notable enhancements, with fat, ash, protein, and moisture content of 4.78%, 2.03%, 18.08%, and 75.11%, respectively. Overall findings indicated that adding 2 g kg⁻¹ probiotics showed improved hematological indices, such as increased red blood cell, hemoglobin and white blood cell count and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity. Mineral analysis revealed optimal levels at 2 g kg−1 probiotics: Ca (72.57%), Na (73.08%), K (71.45%), P (74.70%), Fe (67.43%), Cu (63.62%), Mg (61.98%), and Al (62.18%). To sum up, the dose of 2 g kg−1 probiotics supplementation has a profoundly positive impact on growth, digestibility, health, and hematology in C. mrigala. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Probiotics, one of functional feed additives (FFAs), have emerged as a potential supplement to strengthen fish health and mitigate oxidative stress. The main focus of our research was to explore the benefits of probiotics (protexin) on growth, digestibility, antioxidant enzyme activity, and blood indices of Cirrhinus mrigala fingerlings. Methods: A total of 105 fish (7.42 ± 0.02 g/fish) were used in a 90-day feeding trial. Fish were fed two times a day, and diets were tested in triplicate tanks (15 fingerlings per tank). Moringa oleifera seed meal was chosen as a basal feed ingredient. Seven test diets were formulated: One was control (without supplement), and six diets had different concentrations of probiotics, such as 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, and 3 g kg-1. Results: The results of growth and nutrient absorption were maximum at a probiotic concentration of 2 g kg-1. The optimal serum antioxidant enzyme activity and blood parameters were likewise obtained at a probiotic dose of 2 g kg-1. Conclusions: Supplementing C. mrigala with 2 g kg-1 probiotics substantially improved their growth, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant enzyme activity, and hematological indices (p < 0.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite their importance to global economies, the aquaculture and seafood sectors are major contributors to waste, which is a problem for the environment. Because of its biocompatibility and recyclability, fish waste, which is rich in chitin and chitosan—holds potential in several fields. The shells of crustaceans are the source of chitin and chitosan, two substances with versatile and useful qualities. Although it is not very soluble, chitin is very biocompatible and biodegradable, much like cellulose. The more versatile and solubilized chitosan is made when chitin is deacetylated. About half of seafood waste is made up of cephalothoraxes and shrimp exoskeletons, and chitin is the second most common polysaccharide in the world. An eco‐friendly strategy for managing seafood waste and creating value may be found in investigating these compounds originating from the ocean. The byproduct of fish scales, chitosan, has many uses in the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, culinary, and aquaculture industries. Greener ways of chitin extraction include enzymatic deproteinization and microbial fermentations, as well as biological approaches like demineralization and deproteinization. Chitosan has several potential uses in biomedicine, food technology, and tissue engineering because of its acid solubility and precipitation at pH values greater than 6.0. It may be used in wound healing, water treatment, and agriculture due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and antibacterial qualities. Research on chitosan supplementation in several fish species suggests that it may improve immune responses. However, further research is needed to properly comprehend this. Oral chitosan use has the potential to lead to a more efficient and environmentally friendly aquaculture industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of probiotics as feed additives has been extensively explored and serves a protective function against gut pathogenic microorganisms. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of supplementing Catla catla fingerlings fed a diet including sunflower meal (SFM) with probiotics (Protexin®) on growth performance, nutritional digestibility, and hematological indicators. Six test diets and one control diet (0 g/kg) were formulated before the beginning of the experiment, with varying amounts of probiotics (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 g/kg) added to the basal diet. Fish growth performance, nutritional bioavailability, and hematological indices all improved significantly (p<0.05) after being supplemented with probiotics. Fish fed a diet supplemented with probiotics at a rate of 2.5 g/kg had substantial improvement in body weight (20.29 g), body wt.% (272.78 %), feed conversion ratio (1.24) and specific growth rate (1.46). At a supplementation dosage of 2.5 g/kg, the maximum apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) were observed for gross energy (73.54 %), crude protein (74.57 %), and crude fat (77.53 %). The total quantity of RBCs, WBCs, platelets, hemoglobin (Hb), and hematocrit (Ht) all changed significantly when fish were given a probiotic dosage of 2.5 g/kg. Incorporating probiotics at a dose of 2.5 g/kg resulted in the best growth performance, highest nutritional digestibility, and best hematological indicators in the fingerlings. Finally, the optimal dosage of probiotics for supplementation was shown to be 2.5 g/kg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioavailability, small size and direct absorption in the blood, make nanoparticles (NPs) a remarkable feed additive in the aquaculture industry. Therefore, dietary iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe2O3‐NPs) were used to examine their effects on growth, nutrient absorption, body composition and blood indices in Cyprinus carpio (Common carp) fingerlings. Healthy C. carpio fingerlings (n = 270) were fed with six canola meal based experimental diets (D1‐control, D2, D3, D4, D5, D6) supplemented with 0, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 mg/kg Fe2O3‐NPs respectively. A total of 15 fingerlings (average initial weight 5.51 ± 0.04 g/fish) were kept in triplicates for 70 days. The results indicated that maximum growth performance, apparent digestibility coefficient, body composition and haematological parameters were observed in 40 mg/kg Fe2O3‐NPs supplementation. All the experimental diets were significantly improved (p < 0.05) in all the above parameters than control diet. In the present research, the recommended dosage of Fe2O3‐NPs as dietary supplement is 40 mg/kg for improving the growth, nutrient absorption, body composition and haematological indices in C. carpio fingerlings. Hence, this study demonstrates the potential of NPs to improve the health of fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aquaculture has adopted numerous alternatives, including plant-based sources, microbial biomass, and animal by-products, to recognize the importance of reducing fishmeal (FM) use for economic and environmental sustainability. Several studies have been conducted to look into the impact of different animal protein sources, such as meat and bone meal (MBM), feather meal (FeM), blood meal (BM), poultry by-product meal (PBM), and insect meal (IM), as substitutes for FM in the diets of various fish species. Numerous studies have revealed different degrees of favorable results and outcomes. Studies of different fish species with various levels of substitution were reviewed. Moreover, many studies have demonstrated that the development of fish is not significantly impacted by the inclusion of animal meals in their diets at low to moderate levels. Although the use of alternatives such as fishery by-products, insects and terrestrial byproducts has some constraints. However, the utilization of animal-based protein sources generally exhibits positive results with regard to numerous factors, including the variable growth rate, feed conversion ratio, survival rate, and final weight of different fish species. Indeed, certain animal diets also enhanced the blood composition and immune response of certain species. Overall, the perception is that IM is the most advantageous and proactive protein source used in aquaculture. Several studies have shown that PBM and MBM reveal improved results. More research is required to further interpret other factors that influence the dietary incorporation of animal protein sources in aquaculture feeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is conducted to investigate the effects of lycopene supplementation on nutrient digestibility, hematology, growth performance and antioxidant activity of Labeo rohita fingerlings fed on canola meal (CM) based test diets. The increase in the oxidation of muscles in fish led to rancidity and bad flavor that resulted in the reduced market value of fish. Seven test diets were formulated to having all the required nutrients at an adequate level for improving fish growth. One percent chromic oxide was further added to the feed as an indigestible biomarker. 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 mg/kg of lycopene were added to test the efficiency of the diet for growth performance, antioxidant activity, hematology, and nutrient digestibility of L. rohita fingerlings. V-shaped Tanks were used to keep fifteen fingerlings. For each treatment, three tanks were allocated and fingerlings were fed at the rate of 5% of the live wet weight. After the collection of fecal material two times a day, it was dried at 60°C and pooled for each treatment. By using standard formulae, it was calculated how each treatment affected the feed conversion ratio (FCR), nutrient digestibility, and growth. Results showed that test diet-V (40 mg/kg) lycopene supplementation was the best to significantly (p<0.05) improve growth, nutrient digestibility, antioxidant activity and hematology. The results of FCR, fish growth, and nutrient digestibility were all subjected to one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). The variance between mean values was compared using the Tukey's Honesty test. Statistical analysis was conducted by using the CoStat Computer Package. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carps are the most diversified freshwater fish belonging to family Cyprinidae. Numerous probiotic and pathogenic lactic acid bacteria ( LAB) have been characterized from carps. However, the diversity of these ecologically important bacteria is entirely unknown in freshwater fish of Pakistan. The present study aimed to characterize and identify the lactic acid bacteria from two carps viz. Laboe rohita and Cirrhinus mrigala and determine their antagonistic activity. Seventeen bacterial isolates were purified from the gastrointestinal tract and gills of these fish and characterized morphologically. Initially, seven isolates were screened as LAB using agar supplemented with Ca CO3. Subsequently, only two isolates CILB2 and RIL10 were selected as LAB after high-performance liquid chromatography analysis for lactic acid production. Isolates CILB2 and RIL10 were genetically identified as Enterococcus faecalis and Weissella sp., respectively after 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Both strains exhibited significant antagonistic activity against common fish pathogens Streptococcus agalactiae, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Enterococcus faecalis CILB2 and Weissella sp. RIL10 were also found negative for haemolysis and gelatinase activities and were sensitive to ampicillin, amoxicillin, doxycycline, erythromycin, chloramphenicol and co-trimoxazole antibiotics. The identified LAB strains may further be investigated for their potential probiotic application in fish feed and food preservation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to evaluate the effect of phytase supplemented soybean meal based diet on mineral digestibility in Cirrhinus mrigala fingerlings. The eexperiment involved reference diet and basal diet Reference diet was prepared according to the requirements of C. mrigala. Basal diet was made by replacing 30% reference diet with soybean meal which was used as test ingredient in tliis experiment. Five test diets were formulated by spraying graded levels (0, 500, 1000, 1500 and 2000 FTU kg-1) of phytase supplementation to soybean meal-based diet. Chromic oxide was added as indigestible marker. Fingerlings were fed at the rate of 5 % of live wet weight of fish. The results showed that the highest digestibility values (%) of most of the minerals such as Ca, P, Na K Fe Cu and Mn were at 1000 FTU kg-1 level, whereas Mg and Zn showed maximum digestibility at 1500FTU kg-1 level Phytase supplementation significantly increased the mineral digestibility of C. mrigala fingerlings at 1000 FTU kg-1 followed by 1500 FTU kg-1 level as compared to reference diet. It was concluded that the phytase supplementation to soybean meal based diet at 1000 FTU kg-1 level is optimum to release sufficient chelated minerals for C mrigala fingerlings. Our findings also suggest that phytase supplementation can help in the development of sustainable aquaculture by reducing the feed cost and mineral's discharge through feces in the aquatic ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the impacts of adding exogenous enzymes on the growth, nutrient digestibility, carcass composition and antioxidant enzyme activities of Catla catla fingerlings fed test diets based on cottonseed meal. Six experimental diets were created, each containing 200 mgkg -1 of enzyme supplements. The diets consisted of a control diet (CON) without enzyme supplements and five treatment diets: four single-enzyme supplements, namely phytase (PHY), xylanase (XYL), protease (PRO), and cellulase (CEL), and a fifth treatment diet containing a mixture (MIX) of all four enzyme supplements. Fingerlings (7.74 ± 0.30 g each) were introduced into V-shaped water tanks that were intended to hold waste. For seventy days, fish in three replicate tanks received feed at a rate of five percent of their live body weight. The results indicated that the MIX yielded the most favorable outcomes, followed by PHY, XYL, and CEL, while PRO and CON group showed negligible differences. Notably, the MIX supplementation resulted in maximum specific growth rate, weight gain percentage, and minimum feed conversion ratio, surpassing the CON group. Furthermore, the MIX at 200 mgkg -1 demonstrated optimal digestibility and carcass composition in C. catla. Additionally, the activity of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, exhibited enhanced performance in response to exogenous MIX enzyme supplementation. Therefore, these findings suggest that an enzyme MIX group supplemented at 200 mgkg -1 , is optimal for promoting growth, nutrient digestibility, carcass composition, and antioxidant enzyme activity in C. catla., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethical statement: All experimental protocols were approved by the ethical guidelines provided by the Animal Ethics Committee of Government College University Faisalabad. Conflict of interest: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)