Assessment Of Melaleuca Cajuputi (Powell) Methanolic Leaves Extract Enriched Diet On The Growth Performance And Blood Parameter Of Macrobrachium Rosenbergii (De Man, 1879)

Abstract

Melaleuca cajuputi leaves possessed various medicinal properties which make it a potentially valuable natural feed additive to the aquaculture industry. Four diets containing different dosages of M. cajuputi leaves extracts; 0g/kg (C), 5g/kg (T1), 10g/kg (T2) and 15g/kg (T3) were added to the diet to investigate the effects of the respective treatments on the growth performance and blood parameter of Macrobrachium rosenbergii (mean weight of 3.17±0.46g). After the 45 days of feeding, prawns fed the diet containing 15g/kg of M. cajuputi leaves extracts significantly enhanced growth performance, which showed that weight gain (WG) and specific growth rate (SGR) was the highest amongst all treatments (P<0.05). Blood parameters (total hemocyte count (THC), differential hemocyte count (DHC), plasma glucose level, protein concentration and resistance against Aeromonas hydrophila) were examined 60 days post-feeding period. The results showed that prawns fed with the highest dosage of M. cajuputi (15g/kg) enriched diet showed an increment of THC and DHC significantly at (p<0.05) compared to the control group.