Effects of whole banana meal inclusion as replacement for corn meal on digestibility, growth performance, haematological and biochemical variables in practical diets for tambaqui juveniles (Colossoma macropomum)

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of replacing part of the dietary corn meal (CM) with whole banana meal (WBM) in the practical diet for tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum). Two experiments were performed. The first evaluated WBM digestibility. Apparent digestibility coefficients (ADC) (crude protein, crude energy and dry matter) were measured for 80 fish, allocated to two treatments in quadruplicate for the WBM diet and a reference diet (RD). The second experiment evaluated growth performance and biochemical, enzymatic and haematological variables for replacement of CM by WBM. Tambaquis (n = 200) were fed diets containing different levels of WBM inclusion (0, 8, 16, 24 and 32 %). ADC nutrients were above 90 %. The energy ADC of the WBM diet was higher than the RD (p < 0.05). Based on linear regression, tambaquis that received over 16 % WBM as a replacement for CM decreased their growth performance. An increase of dietary WBM inclusion levels caused hyperglycaemia, increased plasma triglyceride, albumin and hepatic glycogen levels, digestible amylase and alkaline protease activities, and decreased plasma total proteins, cholesterol and hepatic aspartate aminotransferase levels in juveniles. The dietary increase in WBM caused a decrease in haematocrit, haemoglobin and haematimetric indices and an increase in erythrocyte levels. In conclusion, WBM may be a viable alternative to the tambaqui diet, where 8% of CM may be replaced by WBM.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC

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