Effects of African Walnut (Tetracarpidium conophorum) Seeds as Feed Supplement on the Blood Profile of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

Abstract

A twelve-month feeding trial was conducted with a view to determine the effects of processed African walnut seeds as feed supplement on the blood profile of African catfish. Ten isonitrogenous diets (T1-T10) of 35% crude protein were formulated to contain powdered samples of the processed seeds as test ingredient at varying inclusion levels of 0.3, 0.5 and 0.8g per 100g. One hundred and eighty juvenile African catfish were selected and divided into ten treatment groups in 50 L circular plastic bowls in a completely randomized design at stocking density of six fish per bowl in the ratio of 3males to 3 females. Each treatment group was replicated thrice. The fish were fed the experimental diet twice a day (morning 8.00hr and evening 17.00hr) for twelve months. At the end of the feeding trial, blood samples of the fish were collected for hematological analysis. Result showed that WBCs, MCV, MCH, MCHC, LYM, BASO and Monophils were not significantly (p<0.05) affected by the dietary treatments of the test ingredient while PCV, Hb, RBCs and Eosinophils were significantly (p>0.05) affected. PCV, Hb, RBC, BASO and PLT recorded their highest value 41.67, 14.07, 4.77, 2.67 and 268.0 respectively in fish fed diet containing SAD seed powder at 0.8g level of inclusion which suggests the suitability of SAD dietary meal of T.conophorum seed powder at higher inclusion level for production of normal and adequate haematological parameters, compared to other processed samples. This implies that the experimental fish, especially those fed SAD diet at higher inclusion level (0.8g) were considered hematologically stable and devoid of toxic factors, thus portraying SAD African walnut seed powder at higher levels of inclusion as the most suitable feed supplement that can yield the desired levels of hematological parameters in the African catfish.