Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Brazilian Joyweed (Alternanthera brasiliana) Leaf Meal on Growth Performance, Haematological and Biochemical Profiles of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Juveniles

Abstract:

This study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of Alternanthera brasiliana leaf meal on growth performance, feed utilization, haematological indices, and biochemical parameters of Clarias gariepinus juveniles during a 56-day feeding trial. A total of 225 juveniles (initial mean weight: 9.08 ± 0.10 g) were randomly distributed into 15 glass tanks at 15 fish per tank, with three replicates per treatment. Five experimental diets containing 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, and 2.0 g/100 g A. brasiliana leaf meal were formulated and fed to the fish. Fish fed the diet containing 0.5 g/100 g leaf meal (AB2) achieved the highest final weight (39.56 g), weight gain (30.48 g), and improved feed conversion ratio (1.51) compared with the control. Higher inclusion levels, however, resulted in reduced growth performance, likely due to antinutritional factors affecting nutrient digestibility and feed palatability. Haematological analysis revealed significant improvements in packed cell volume and white blood cell counts, while haemoglobin concentration increased in most supplemented groups, particularly in AB2, AB4 and AB5, indicating improved oxygen transport and enhanced immune response. Biochemical parameters, including total protein, albumin, and globulin, were also significantly improved at moderate inclusion levels, suggesting enhanced physiological and immune status. The study concludes that dietary inclusion of A. brasiliana leaf meal at 0.5 g/100 g can serve as an effective functional feed additive for improving growth performance and physiological health in C. gariepinus juveniles.

Keywords: Clarias gariepinus; Alternanthera brasiliana; growth performance; haematology; aquafeed

How to Cite This Article

APA (7th Edition)

Oladipupo, T. M., & Osungbemiro, N. R. (2026). Effects of dietary inclusion of Brazilian joyweed (Alternanthera brasiliana) leaf meal on growth performance, haematological and biochemical profiles of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) juveniles. Zaria Journal of Science, 1(1), 13–23.

MLA (9th Edition)

Oladipupo, T. M., and N. R. Osungbemiro. "Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Brazilian Joyweed (Alternanthera brasiliana) Leaf Meal on Growth Performance, Haematological and Biochemical Profiles of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Juveniles." Zaria Journal of Science, vol. 1, no. 1, 2026, pp. 13–23.

Chicago (Author-Date)

Oladipupo, T. M., and N. R. Osungbemiro. 2026. "Effects of Dietary Inclusion of Brazilian Joyweed (Alternanthera brasiliana) Leaf Meal on Growth Performance, Haematological and Biochemical Profiles of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) Juveniles." Zaria Journal of Science 1 (1): 13–23.

Harvard

Oladipupo, T.M. and Osungbemiro, N.R., 2026. Effects of dietary inclusion of Brazilian joyweed (Alternanthera brasiliana) leaf meal on growth performance, haematological and biochemical profiles of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) juveniles. Zaria Journal of Science, 1(1), pp.13–23.

IEEE

T. M. Oladipupo and N. R. Osungbemiro, "Effects of dietary inclusion of Brazilian joyweed (Alternanthera brasiliana) leaf meal on growth performance, haematological and biochemical profiles of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) juveniles," Zaria Journal of Science, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 13–23, 2026.

License

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

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