MOBILIZATION OF TAURINE FOR RESTORATIVE GROWTH, CARCASS COMPOSITION AND HEMATOLOGY IN CYPRINUS CARPIO FINGERLINGS FED ON LINSEED MEAL BASED DIET

In intensive culture fish cannot digest the plant-based diets properly and negatively affects their overall performance. Addition of organic acids in plant-based diets and their salts improves the performance of C. carpio. Current research was conducted to estimate the influences of dietary Tau addition in linseed meal-based diet on growth, hematological indices and carcass composition of common carp fingerlings. C. carpio fingerlings were fed (@4% of live wet body weight) on linseed meal-based diet supplemented with graded levels (0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 gkg-1) of dietary taurine for 60 days. The linseed meal-based diets were given to triplicate groups of fish fingerlings (6.22 g average initial body weight) twice a day. Fish fed with linseed meal supplemented with Tau at 4gkg-1 indicated maximum retention of CHO, CP as well as gross energy as compared to fish in control treatment. Growth performance of fish was significantly improved (p<0.05) by dietary Tau up to optimal level of 4gkg-1, after which a noticeable decline in fish growth was observed due to poor retention of various essential nutrients and minerals while, EE absorption was maximum at 6gkg-1 diet. Maximum weight gain (18.31) and survival (97.78) were found maximum at 4gkg-1 level based diet. Similarly, best values of various hematological indices i.e., RBCs, Hb, PCV, MCHC, MCH were also found at 4gkg-1 diet. These results indicate that the taurine supplementation at 4gkg-1 level is most suitable for highest fish performance as well as its ability to combat various pathogens. Keywords: Cyprinus carpio, Linseed meal, Taurine, growth performance, whole body composition, hematology