Impact of dietary pomegranate peel biochar on performance and economics of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)

This study sought to ascertain the actual effects of different dietary levels of pomegranate peel biochar on the performance, antioxidant capacity, intestinal and liver histology, and expression of growth, antioxidant, and immune-related genes, as well as the economics of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). One hundred and twenty fingerlings (3.15 ± 0.15 g/fish) were randomly distributed into 4 triplicate groups (10 fish/replicate). The pomegranate peel was added to the fish diet at 1, 3, and 5 g/kg diet as Bp1%, Bp3%, and Bp5%. They were given to Nile tilapia for 60 days. Fish fed a diet supplemented with pomegranate peel displayed higher growth (P < 0.05) and antioxidants with normal histology of the liver and spleen. Additionally, the intestinal villi length and goblet cells increased (P < 0.05) with increasing levels of biochar with the overexpression of the growth, antioxidant, and immune-related genes. The return parameters also showed the same trend, as the highest total return, net profit and rate of return on investment were recorded for fish-fed pomegranate peel-supplemented diets. Thus, pomegranate peel biochar could be considered a promising cost-effective supplement with the potential to improve Nile tilapia’s growth performance, antioxidant status, and economic feasibility.