Effects of Sesamum indicum seed meal on growth, haematology, amino acid and proximate compositions of Clarias gariepinus

Increasing cost of feedstuff due to competition between livestock and human necessitates research into low-cost, unconventional feedstuffs for profitable fish farming. This research determined effects of sesame seed cake on growth performance, haematology and proximate composition of Clarias gariepinus juveniles. The sesame seed cake was incorporated at 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5% to formulate isonitrogenouse (40% protein) experimental diets designated as T1 to T6 respectively. The formulated diets were fed to catfish {16.66±6.9 - 22.03±4.1cm (length) and 62.13±4.7 - 67.43±9.5g (weight)} for a period of 56 days at 5% body weight. At the end of the feeding trial, growth performance, carcass proximate composition, haematological and amino acid profiles were determined following standard procedures. Resuts of growth performance revealed that fish growth increased with increasing inclusion of sesame seed cake in diets with the best final body weight (816g) and daily weight gain (14.11g) recorded in T6. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the values of haematological parameters amomg treatment groups. However, the values of red blood cell, haemoglobin, mean cell haemoglobin, mean cell haemoglobin concentration increased with seed extract in dites while reduction in the values of platelets and pack cell volume were observed with increasing levels of sesame seed cake in diets. Carcass proximate composition revealed that fish fed T4 (3% sesame seed cake) had the highest protein level (39.79%) while those in T3 and T5 had the least protein of 38.18%. A total of 17 amino acids were detected, out of which glutamic acid, aspartic acid, valine, threonine, serine, phenylalanine, proline and methionine increased in values while lysine, leucine, arginine, alanine, isoleucine, glycine, histidine and tryptophan reduced in value with no significant changes (p>0.05) in the level of cysteine in all treatment groups. The results of this work will significantly help in reducing the problem of fish feed supply in Nigeria.