Manohar Lal Ojha, Narinder Kumar Chadha, Ved Prakash Saini, Sibnarayan Damroy, Chandraprakash and Paramita Banerjee Sawant
Abstract
To evaluate the effect of dietary ethanolic extract of Mucuna pruriens (kaunch seed) on growth and blood chemistry of Indian Major Carp, Labeo rohita fingerlings, a 45 days preliminary study was conducted. Fishes were fed with diet containing six graded levels (0.0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.7, 1.1 and 1.5 g/100g diet) of Mucuna pruriens. There was significant variation (p < 0.05) in growth parameters (net weight gain, SGR and food conversion ratio). Fishes fed with 0.1 g/100g diet had the highest weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR).However, the inclusion of higher (0.1 g/100kg diet) levels of Mucuna pruriens did not show any significant increase in growth of fish. Further, the haematological parameters such as pack cell volume (PCV), haemoglobin concentration (Hb) and red blood cells (RBC) were not significantly different in Mucuna pruriens supplemented diets as compared to control. However there was a significant (P < 0.05) proliferation of the white blood cells (WBC). This probably explains the effect of ethanolic extract of Mucuna pruriens role in white blood cells and in the immunity defence mechanism of fish.