AUTHOR=Radwan Mahmoud , Abbas Mahmoud Mahrous M. , Mohammadein Amaal , Al Malki Jamila S. , Elraey Said M. A. , Magdy Mohammad 

TITLE=Growth Performance, Immune Response, Antioxidative Status, and Antiparasitic and Antibacterial Capacity of the Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) After Dietary Supplementation With Bottle Gourd (Lagenaria siceraria, Molina) Seed Powder

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2022.901439

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2022.901439

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>Medicinal plants are a potential safe source of bioactive compounds. Fish diet supplemented with the medicinal plant bottle gourd (<italic>Lagenaria siceraria</italic>) seed powder was evaluated in this study for the potential effect on growth performance, antioxidative status, immunological response, and resistance to infectious pathogens in the Nile tilapia (<italic>Oreochromis niloticus</italic>). Nile tilapia fingerlings with mean weight ( ± SD)= (25.64 ± 0.17 g), were fed four <italic>L. siceraria</italic> seed supplemented diets (LSSD) at 0.0, 1, 2, and 3% for 60 days. Specimens were then challenged with the bacterium <italic>Aeromonas hydrophila</italic> for 10 days. Also, three different concentrations (2.5, 5, and 10 ml/L) of <italic>Lagenaria siceraria</italic> ethanolic extract (LSEE) were tested for their antibacterial and antiparasitic efficacy on four selected bacterial and one parasitic species. All parameters’ values generally improved with elevating the content of the <italic>L. siceraria</italic> seed powder in the diet. Dietary administration of LSSD-3% enabled significant (<italic>P &lt; 0.05</italic>) higher growth performance, and feed utilization efficiency. It reduced the mortality induced by <italic>A. hydrophila</italic> infection, increased crude protein content in the fish body and exhibited the highest <italic>in vitro</italic> antibacterial and antiparasitic efficiency. RBCs, WBCs, Hb, PCV, MCV, MCH, and total serum protein values in pre- and post-challenge groups were significantly higher (<italic>P &lt; 0.05</italic>) in the LSSD-3% group. While MCHC, ALT, AST and glucose levels were significantly lower (<italic>P &lt; 0.05</italic>) than those of the other groups. Lysozyme and antioxidant enzyme activities in pre- and post-challenge groups were also higher (<italic>P &lt; 0.05</italic>) in the LSSD-3% group compared to the other groups. LSEE provided good efficacy against Gram-negative bacterial strains, mild efficacy against Gram-positive bacterial strains, and an antagonistic effect on the parasite <italic>Cichlidogyrus Tilapiae</italic>. The 10 ml/L concentration was the most effective against the pathogens followed by the 5 ml/L concentration and then 2.5 ml/L. Our findings suggest the feasibility of supplementation of Nile tilapia (<italic>O. niloticus</italic>) diet with <italic>L. siceraria</italic> seed powder by 3% to improve the growth performance, immunity, and vital parameters.</p>