Organic Zinc Supplementation Improve Growth Perfomance, Digestive Enzyme Activity, and Antioxidant Response of the Pacu Colossoma macropomum | ||||
| Egyptian Journal of Aquatic Biology and Fisheries | ||||
| Article 198, Volume 29, Issue 4, July and August 2025, Page 2633-2652 PDF (476.91 K) | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejabf.2025.448441 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
| Amanullah et al. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The organic form of zinc (Zn) has high bioavailability and is more readily absorbed than inorganic forms. This study aimed to determine the optimum dietary dosage of organic Zn to enhance the growth performance of pacu (Colossoma macropomum). A completely randomized design (CRD) was applied with five dietary treatments containing 0, 20, 40, 80, and 160 mg Zn kg⁻¹ feed, each in four replicates. Pacu were stocked at a density of 15 fish per aquarium (200 fish m⁻³; aquarium size: 50 × 50 × 40 cm; water volume: 75 L), with an initial mean weight of 9.27 ± 0.01 g, and reared for 60 days. Fish were fed to apparent satiation twice daily (09:00 and 17:00). Parameters evaluated included digestive enzyme activities (amylase, lipase, trypsin, chymotrypsin), antioxidant responses (superoxide dismutase [SOD], glutathione peroxidase [GPx], malondialdehyde [MDA]), intestinal histology, health status (lysozyme activity, respiratory burst), growth performance (survival rate, feed intake, feed conversion ratio [FCR], specific growth rate [SGR], protein efficiency ratio [PER], protein retention), and Zn content in organs. Results showed that the 40 mg Zn kg⁻¹ diet produced the highest activities of amylase, lipase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. Antioxidant responses under air stress indicated optimal defense at 20– 40mg Zn kg⁻¹, with high SOD and GPx levels and reduced MDA levels. Zn supplementation also enhanced lysozyme activity and respiratory burst compared to the control. Histological analysis revealed improved intestinal absorption areas in fish fed 20, 40, and 80mg Zn kg⁻¹. Furthermore, Zn supplementation significantly increased Zn deposition in organs (P< 0.05). Correlation analysis between SGR and FCR with Zn dosage demonstrated that 40 mg Zn kg⁻¹ feed provided the best growth performance. Overall, organic Zn supplementation improved antioxidant defenses, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal health, immune responses, and growth in pacu, with 40mg Zn kg⁻¹ identified as the optimal dietary level. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Colossoma macropomum; Digestive enzymes; Growth performance; Antioxidant; Zinc | ||||
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