Palm oil and palm kernel cake in diets for juvenile Nile tilapia

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the inclusion of palm kernel cake and palm oil in diets for Nile tilapia. Three hundred and twelve fish were distributed in 24 tanks (150 L) in a completely randomized design, in a 2x3 factorial arrangement – two oil sources (soybean or palm oil) and three levels of palm kernel cake (0, 15, and 30%). The oil source did not influence animal performance. The inclusion of palm kernel cake did not affect apparent feed conversion and survival rate of fish; however, it increased values of daily feed intake, daily weight gain, specific growth rate, and condition factor. The oil source and the inclusion of the palm kernel cake did not influence the fat content and carcass yield, the hepatosomatic index, the value of productive energy, and plasma cholesterol. Palm oil can replace soybean oil, and the inclusion of palm kernel cake improves the growth performance of Nile tilapia, without altering body and blood characteristics.