Potential of the use of peanut (<i>Arachis hypogaea</i>) leaf meal as a partial replacement for fish meal in diets for Nile tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus</i>L.)

Abstract

The rapid growth of tilapia culture has stimulated the expansion of tilapia feed production and a search for novel protein sources to replace fish meal. Vegetable or plant sources are promising alternatives and legumes are both naturally abundant and high in protein content. A study was carried out to evaluate the effects of replacing the protein from fish meal with peanut (Arachis hypogaea) leaf meal (PLM) in diets for male tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, initial body weight 75.3 g). Four isonitrogenous (35% CP) and isocaloric (18.834 kJ g−1) diets were prepared to include 0% (CON), 10% (PLM10), 20% (PLM20) and 30% (PLM30) of PLM protein. Average fish weights at the end of the 126-day experiment were not statistically different among the fish fed CON, PLM10 and PLM20 diets. The PLM30 diet produced the poorest growth performance. Organic matter and protein contents of fish were similar in the CON, PLM10 and PLM20 diets. Carcass chemical composition showed a decrease in body fat content as PLM replacement levels increased. The high survival ratio in all dietary groups (>97%) suggests that PLM can be used in O. niloticus feeds for long periods without affecting fish growth performance or health.