Effects of different levels of Ginger extract on growth performance, nutrition and body biochemical composition of Mesopotamicthys sharpeyi fingerlings

In this study, the effects of dietary intake of different levels of ginger (Zingiberofficinale) extract on fingerlings of Mesopotamichthys sharpeyi,were investigated. For this purpose, 192 fingerlings (mean weight: 11.67±0.32 g) were randomly distributed in twelve 300 litres fiberglass tanks (16 fish per tank) and fed with commercial diet containing 0% (control group),0.1%, 0. 5% and 1% of ethanolic ginger extract (treatment 1, 2 and 3 respectively). The fish were fed by 3% of body weight per day 3 Times a day for 8 weeks. At the end of the experimental period, various growth parameters including weight gain, specific growth rate, condition factor and hepatosomatic index and feeding indices included of feed conversion rate and protein efficiency rate were calculated. Carcass biochemical composition was also analyzed. The results showed that Adding of different levels of ginger extract to fingerlings diet caused an increase in weight gain and specific growth rate (P<0.05) compared to control group. The highest rate of these factors were respectively observed in diet containing 1% and 0.5% of ginger extract and the lowest rate was for control group. The highest rate of hepatosomatic index recorded for 1% of ginger extract diet (P<0.05). Feed conversion rate was highest in 0.5% of ginger extract diet (P<0.05) However there was no significant difference between three experimental and control groups for condition factor, protein efficiency rate, protein content, fat, ash and moisture content ofwhole body composition (P>0.05). According to the results of this study, adding of 1% of ginger extract to diet of Mesopotamichthys sharpeyi fingerlings cause growth inhancement.