Efficacy of Bitter Leaf (Vernonia Amygdalina) Extract for Removal of Egg Adhesiveness during Artificial Propagation of African Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus, Burchell 1822)

Abstract

This study evaluated the optimal immersion period and concentration of bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina) extract for effectively removing egg adhesiveness in African catfish (C. gariepinus). Two males (1.3 kg) and two females (1.4 kg) were selected as broodstock for induced breeding. Three concentrations of bitter leaf extract (0.5%, 1.0%, and 1.5%) were tested at immersion durations of 30, 60, and 90 seconds. Tannic acid (0.75 g/L) served as the reference de-adhesion agent, while water alone was used as the control. Each treatment was conducted in triplicate. Data were analysed using one-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey’s multiple range test, while third-order polynomial regression was applied to identify the most effective concentration and immersion period. The findings showed no significant differences (p > 0.05) in non-adhesive egg percentage and hatchability between eggs treated with bitter leaf extract and those treated with tannic acid. However, the combination of 0.5% bitter leaf extract with a 30-second immersion period exhibited the highest de-adhesion efficiency, resulting in 97.40% fertilisation, 95.07% non-adhesive eggs, and 90.09% hatchability. The study concludes that bitter leaf extract is an effective, eco-friendly, and low-cost alternative to synthetic agents such as tannic acid for removing egg adhesiveness in C. gariepinus. Its use at 0.5% concentration with a short immersion period (30 seconds) is recommended for hatchery operations to enhance seed production efficiency.