Phytochemical profile and growth performance evaluation of African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fed soursop (Annona muricata) leaf meal

• Soursop leaf meal (SLM) is rich in bioactive compounds with high nutritional value. • GC–MS analysis of the methanolic extract revealed 13 compounds, primarily fatty acids. • SLM can be added to fish diets at 2.5 % with no adverse effect on feed intake or growth. • Hematological and serum lipid indices were unaffected by dietary SLM inclusion. • SLM is an effective feed additive for sustainable African catfish farming. The potential of Annona muricata leaf meal (SLM) as a feed additive for African catfish ( Clarias gariepinus ) was investigated through a 56-day feeding trial. The study began with a quantitative phytochemical analysis of SLM, followed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) of methanolic leaf extracts. 180 juveniles, averaging 151.12 ± 8.54 g, were randomly assigned to four groups, each with 45 fish and three replicates in a Completely Randomized Design. The groups–Control, T1, T2, and T3 were fed diets containing 0 %, 2.5 %, 5 %, and 7.5 % SLM, respectively. Phytochemical analysis revealed substantial amounts of phenols, flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins. GC–MS identified 13 distinct compounds, including fatty acids, fatty acid esters, ethers and aldehydes. Fish were weighed at the study's conclusion, and blood samples were collected for hematological and serum lipid profile analysis. Condition factors and survivability were similar across all groups ( p ≥ 0.05 ). However, final body weight (FW), weight gain, specific growth rate, total feed intake (TFI), and feed conversion ratio varied significantly ( p < 0.05 ). The control group exhibited the highest FW (339.20 ± 3.16 g) and TFI (597.05 ± 6.65 g), with results comparable to T1. Conversely, TFI and growth progressively declined with increasing SLM levels, with T3 showing the lowest FW (299.62 ± 7.83 g) and TFI (541.06 ± 20.39 g). Hematological and serum profile indices were similar across groups ( p ≥ 0.05 ). These findings highlight the nutritional and ethnopharmacological relevance of A. muricata leaves. It was, therefore, concluded that SLM can be included in catfish diets at 2.5 % without negatively affecting growth or health.