Impact of Protein Deficient Diets Supplemented with Methionine on Growth, Nutrient Utilization and Carcass Amino Acid Profile of African Catfish Clarias Gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Abstract

Abstract

Fish farmers often use practical diets deficient in proteins in order to minimize costs and maximize profits. This study was conducted to determine the effects of DL- Methionine supplementation in such diets on growth and carcass quality of African catfish Clarias gariepinus. Results showed that feeding fish with protein deficient diets retarded growth performance, reduced nutrients composition and increased the carcass lipid. However, supplementation of Met in the diets generally improved the fish growth performance, nutrient composition and enhanced the synthesis of other amino acids in the fish body. Similarly, supplementation of Met to protein deficient 35% crude protein (CP) diet raised the Met content of that diet that it produced fish with similar growth performance asthose fed the control diets of 40 or 45% CP. The study also revealed no additional significant benefits by increasing the dietary protein level of the fish from 40 to 45%, thus confirming 40%proteinastherequirementforthefish.However, 35%crudeproteindietsupplemented with 0.11% DL-Met was as efficient as a diet of 40% CP in supporting the growth performance and nutrient utilization and inregulating the carcass quality of the fish.