Valor nutritivo do farelo de pinhão manso (Jatropha curcas) para alevinos de tilápia do Nilo (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

Jatropha curcas meal is a vegetable protein-rich ingredient which could be used in animal diets as a soybean meal substitute. Otherwise, information is lacking regarding to its nutritional value and the effect of antinutritional factors for fish. A 90-day feeding trial was performed to evaluate the effect of jatropha meal (JM) inclusion in diets for Nile tilapia. Two hundred and forty fish with 13.82 ± 0.39g mean initial weight were randomly assigned to 30 250l-aquaria in a completely randomized design. Fish were fed diets (isonitrogenous = 32.00% DP, isoenergetic = 4000 kcal GE/kg diet and same fiber level = 8.7% CF) containing graded JM levels (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0 and 16.0%). Jatropha meal chemical composition, feed intake (FI), weight gain (WG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality and hepatosomatic index (HSI) were evaluated. At 45 and 90 days all fish were anesthetized and weighed. One fish per aquarium was killed to determine dry matter (DM), ash, crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) content of fish carcass. Ash, DM and EE content reduced according to JM inclusion levels (P<0.05). Fish fed 2, 4 and 8% JM had higher CP content. This difference was probably due to the lower EE content of these fish. A negative quadratic effect was observed for WG and FI while positive quadratic effect was observed for FCR. The regression equation demonstrated that inclusion JM levels above 5.55% depressed fish growth. HSI showed negative linear effect according to increasing JM level in the diet. Fish fed 16% JM showed the lowest life span and completely died before the end of the experiment, indicating the high toxicity of JM. Tilapia fed JM showed anorexia signs, erratic swimming, hemorrhagic mouth and operculum, dark eyes and scoliosis. Due to antinutritional factor on Nile tilapia performance and health, JM is not recommended to be used in Nile tilapia diets.