Azolla Filiculoides - Nutritious and Cost-Effective Feed for Livestock, Poultry and Fish

Azolla is a unique freshwater fern, being one of the fastest growing plants on the planet due to its symbiotic relation with a cyanobacteria called Anabaena. Extensive studies to evaluate the potential of Azolla to be applied as a green manure in rice fields, feed supplement for aquatic and terrestrial animals, human food, medicine, water purifier, bio fertilizer, weeds and mosquitoes controlling agent, or removal of nitrogenous compounds from water are carried out. The present study aims to determine the nutritive value of Azolla filiculoides. The parameters like moisture content, ash content, dietary fibre, protein, total phenol, calcium and phosphorus were analysed. The protein content of Azolla was found to be 9.11g, The fibre content of Azolla was found to be 9.5g. The parameters of calcium and phosphorus was found to be 325mg and 128 mg. The ash content of Azolla was found to 6.3 The results obtained shows that Azolla has the potential to be available as a cost effective feed for variety of animals species since it has good amount of protein fibre and minerals. The results re-enforce the growing awareness that aquatic plants can contribute essential nutrients. Hence it can be considered as a nutritive aquatic feed and used as livestock feed, animal feed and also fish feed. Based on the results of the present study, it may be concluded that Azolla filiculoides could be used as a food source having a potential to be used as poultry feed, animal feed and fish feed.