Performance, body composition, and physiological response of tambaqui fed diet with green tea extract

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the performance, body composition, and physiological state of tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) fingerlings fed diets containing different levels of green tea (Camellia sinensis) extract (GTE). A completely randomized design was used with five treatments, different levels of GTE (0.00, 0.05, 0.30, 0.55, and 0.80 g kg^-1) and three replicates. The diets were offered to fingerlings twice a day, for 90 days. The increase of dietary GTE levels promoted a positive quadratic effect on body lipids, hepatic lipids, retention of body lipids, glucose, and total triglycerides, and the minimum values of these variables were estimated with 0.61, 0.54, 0.73, 0.60, and 0.30g kg^-1 GTE in the diet, respectively. There was a negative quadratic effect of the extract on body protein and hemoglobin with the increased GTE dietary level, and the maximum values of these variables were estimated with 0.59 and 0.46 g kg^-1 GTE dietary level, respectively. Total cholesterol levels showed a linear reduction with increased GTE dietary level. The inclusion of GTE in the diet, although not affecting performance, decreases body and hepatic fat; reduces the levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and glucose; and promotes the increase of body protein of tambaqui fingerlings, improving fish health conditions, during cultivation, and the quality of the final product.