Oil composition: potential additive modulator in nutrition of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

Abstract

The creation of Tilapias in Brazil consists in one of the major sources of fish production, representing the most produced species in the country. Tilapias are advantageous due to several characteristics that made this species favorable to farming, such as rapid growth, good weather and environment adaptation and rusticity in management. The growth of this fishing activity is result of numerous advances and improvements in all tilapia productive chain. However, the nutrition field still is dynamic and challenger. Due to the intensification in fish production, a better diet efficiency has been pursued, such as food development capable of provide maximization in zootechnical performance of the animals. However, the market in additive in feed for fishes is still insipid. In this context, researches related to products or alternative addictives that may present potential, favoring nutrition and many times being able to be associated with improvement of animals health, are being encouraged and developed in Brazil and in the world. One of the alternatives includes the use of essential oils due to its innumerous characteristics of interest in animal production, being one of the most promising alternatives in aquaculture. Among the essential oils, the most widespread includes oregano, thymol and cinnamaldehyde acid. Due to its components, the essential oils, when added to the feed, can develop several functions including the raise of feed consumption due to the raise of palatability, stimulation of digestive enzymes secretion, modulation of intestinal microbiote, endocrinal stimulation, antibacterial activity, coccidiostatic activity, immunologic system response stimulation, antiinflamatory and antioxidant activity. Considering the exposed, this project proposes to test Five treatments will be tested: (1) Control diet (commercial diet), (2) control diet with 0.25% essential oil oregano, (3) control diet with 0.25% cinnamon essential oil, control with 0.25% essential oil of thyme and (5) a compound of essential oils (Oregano, cinnamon and thyme), this compound of essential oils has already been developed by the company. As supplement of fish feed in in the larval phase up to the fingerling stage 2, throughout productive development, microbiome and fatty acids analysis. The essential oils will be incorporated into the rations according to the dosages to be tested and homogenized in a Y-homogenizer. At the end of the experiment the animals will be euthanized for the individual measurements and tissue collection. The experimental design will be composed of five treatments and four replicates. Data will be submitted to statistical analysis. Results obtained will provide an innovation in nutrition field of tilapias farming, filling in a gap necessary in productive chain, attending the exigency in productive development, minimizing diet formulation costs and being possibly associated to a better animal health. (AU)