Effect of Dietary Fish Meal Replacement by Canola Meal on Growth Performance and Hepatic Intermediary Metabolism of Genetically Improved Farmed Tilapia Strain of Nile Tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, Reared in Fresh Water

An 8-wk feeding trial was conducted to evaluate the potential of replacing fish meal with canola meal in experimental diets for genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) strain of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (mean initial weight: 20.0 +/- 0.62 g, means +/- SD), reared in fresh water. Six isonitrogenous (30% crude protein) and isolipidic (10%) diets were formulated with canola meal included at six levels of 0 (control), 11, 22, 33, 44, and 55%, replacing 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, and 75% fish meal, respectively. Growth performance and feed utilization showed no significant differences among the treatments. In general, dietary canola meal supplementation showed significant effect on hepatic composition of tilapia, but not muscle composition. Viscerosomatic index tended to increase with increasing dietary canola meal levels from 0 to 44%, and then declined when dietary canola meal levels further increased from 44 to 55%. Dietary fish meal replacement by canola meal significantly influenced several hepatic enzymatic activities, including succinate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, malic dehydrogenase, lipoprotein lipase, and hepatic lipase, suggesting that dietary fish meal replacement by canola meal had significant effects on nutrient metabolism in the liver. Based on the information above, 75% of dietary fish meal could be replaced by canola meal with no effect on growth performance of GIFT strain of Nile tilapia. Use of canola meal in practical diets for GIFT stain of Nile tilapia may allow producers and feed mills to formulate more economical diets.