The Effect of the Nutritional Value Enhancing of the Diet Provided to Common Carp Cyprinus carpio L. by Adding Organic Selenium and Vitamin E on Growth Parameters and Food Utilization

Abstract

Abstract Farmed fish are subjected to different types of stress, including grading, transfer, crowding and vaccination, which can expose the fish to different risks. Therefore, researchers are resorted to the use of many feed additives. The aim of the current research is to promote growth and reduce oxidative stress by adding different levels of organic selenium with or without vitamin α-tocopherol. A total of 24 glass aquariums are used to feed 168 common carp fingerlings, Cyprinus carpio L., with an average weight of 31 ± 2 gm/fish on eight experimental diets with three replications for each treatment. The diets offered to the fish include the control (diet 1), while organic selenium is added in the form of seleniumthionine, in proportions of 0.6, 0.7 and 0.8 mg/kg (second, third and fourth diets). The fifth, sixth and seventh diets all include the same amounts of organic selenium along with 300 mg/kg of α-tocopherol, while the eighth diet only has α-tocopherol. The statistical analysis reveals that the addition of organic selenium, α-tocopherol, or both lead to a significant increase (P ≤ 0.05) in the parameters of final weight, total weight gain, daily growth rate, relative growth rate, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio, feed efficiency ratio, protein retention, protein efficiency ratio and protein productive value compared to the control diet.