Effect of feeding crude or treated tung meal (Aleurites fordii) in the diet of Rhamdia quelen on growth, digestive enzymes and biochemical parameters

Abstract This study evaluated the addition of tung (Aleurites fordii) meal to the feed of Rhamdia quelen, as an alternative to animal protein sources. Silver catfish juveniles were fed different diets which included crude tung meal, chemically treated tung meal and a control without tung meal. The chemical treatment was based on the sequential application of acid and alcohol solutions and reduced the phytic acid from 1.63 to 0.61% and condensed tannin content from 0.025 to 0.018%. The nutritional response of fish to these ingredients was evaluated over nine weeks, based on growth performance, digestive enzyme activity and biochemical responses. After nine weeks, the diet containing crude tung meal caused reduced growth (weight: -57.9%; total length: -21.09%; specific growth rate: -99.74%). This diet also reduced acid protease and lipase activities, decreased concentrations of glucose, cholesterol and triglycerides in plasma and decreased liver glycogen and glucose concentrations. However, after nine weeks, fish fed with treated tung meal showed higher growth (weight, total length and specific growth rate similar to control) and reduced metabolic changes, possibly due to the removal of antinutrients and toxic substances. At the 32% level of inclusion, the chemically treated tung meal can be considered an alternative protein source for silver catfish.