EVALUATING CALCIUM BUTYRATE AND NUCLEOTIDES FOR USE IN DIETS OF MOZAMBIQUE TILAPIA Oreochromis mossambicus

摘要

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of a protected dietary calcium butyrate / nucleotide blend (Nutracid InteStim~R, Nutrex) on the production performance of Mozambique Tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus. 375 Male tilapia with an average body length and weight of 7.881 ± 0.161 cm and 8.360 ± 0.738 g were allocated to 25 x 80 litre tanks within a temperature-controlled experimental recirculation system. Treatments consisted of a control diet with no additive supplementation (NO), and four diets with increasing levels of additive: N0.25, N0.5 Nl and N2 containing 0.25, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 g kg-1 of the butyrate / nucleotide blend. Each treatment was replicated 5 times. The effect of the feed additive inclusion on production performance, body partitioning and intestinal morphology was considered.