Growth, Haematogical and Economic Response of <i>Clarias gariepinus</i> (Burchell, 1822) Juveniles to Lemon Grass (<i>Cymbopogon citratus</i>) as Feed Additive

Concerns over the excessive use of antibiotic growth promoters in animal feeds have prompted the search for substitute medicinal plants which are available, safe, cheap, and optimize growth of food fish. This study investigated the growth performance of Clarias gariepinus juveniles (n = 225, 21.25 ± 0.23 g) fed graded levels of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) leaf powder as a feed additive. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with 5 treatments, each replicated thrice, using 50 L capacity plastic tanks. The treatment diets included graded levels of lemon grass leaf powder of in the following concentrations: The control diet (T1 = 0.0 g/kg); T2 = 2.0 g/kg; T3 = 4.0 g/kg; T4 = 6.0 g/kg; and T5 = 8.0 g/kg. The stocking density was fifteen fish per tank and they were fed at 5% body weight, twice daily for 60 days. At the end of the feeding trial, blood samples were collected from three fish randomly selected from each replicate for analysis. The water quality parameters were within the expected range for culture of Clarias gariepinus. Supplementation of the diets with lemon grass leaf powder significantly (P 0.05) different among treatments. Red blood cell count (RBC), white blood cell count (WBC), lymphocytes count, hemoglobin, mean cell volume (MCV), mean cell haemoglobin (MCH) and mean cell haemoglobin concentration (MCHC), were within haematological values recommended for cultured African catfish and were not different (P > 0.05) within treatment except WBC that was significantly lower (P Clarias gariepinus juveniles. Safe level for inclusion is 2 - 8 g/kg for Clarias gariepinus juveniles.