HEAMATOLOGICAL STUDIES OF CATFISH FED EXPERIMENTAL DIET SUPPLEMENTED WITH CHITIN AND CHITOSAN EXTRACTED FROM PERIWINKLE SHELL

ABSTRACT

This study determined the heamatological parameters of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fed experimental diet supplemented with Chitin and Chitosan extracted from Periwinkle Shell. 576 post juvenile catfish from a reputable hatchery in Benin City was obtained and then acclimatized for one week before transferring to the experimental tanks. The experiment made use of 6 treatments with 3 replicates. Each tank was stocked with 32 post juveniles Clarias gariepinus. The Juvenile fish were fed locally formulated diets at different inclusion levels of Chitin and Chitosan, namely; T1 (Basal diet), T2( 3% Periwinkle Chitin), T3 ( 6% Periwinkle Chitin), T4 (0.03% Chitosan), T5 (0.06% Chitosan), T6 (Basal diet plus 0.08% terramycin). The fish were hand-fed twice daily at 8am and 4pm GMT +1 for 12 weeks. Feed adjustments were made every 15 days after sampling. Blood sample for heamatogical studies was collected from eighteen randomly selected fish at the end of the experiment (one per tank), by sacrificing the fish. Data from heamatological studies was subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Comparison of means was carried out using the New Duncan Multiple Range Test (DMRT) at 5% probability level. The heamatological parameters results showed that PCV experienced a decline as the levels of inclusion for chitin and Chitosan increased for the diet. RBC values increased each time there was an increase in the inclusion levels of either Chitin or Chitosan. However, WBC values were highest in T5 which was supplemented with 0.06% Chitosan but lowest in T3 that was supplemented with 6% chitin. Again Hb levels were the highest(11.57±2.49) in T4 that was supplemented 0.03% Chitosan but lowest for T5(10.20±1.81)supplemented with 0.06% Chitosan. Heamatological parameters results were within the recommended ranges for fish health apart from the platelet (PLT) values which ranged from(1002.67*10^3/uL) to (712.67*10^3/uL) in T6 and T4 respectively. The result obtained from this study shows that Chitosan was more suitable than Chitin to be used as probiotics in fish diet.