ABSTRACT
The enhancement of immunity of fish through application of natural immunostimulants would help in minimizing the risk of occurrence of diseases in aquaculture. The present study was designed to evaluate the growth promoting and immunostimulatory effect of Guduchi, Tinospora cordifolia (Thunb.) Miers ex Hook F. leaf powder in fingerlings of Amur carp (Cyprinus carpio haematopterus Martens). The fingerlings were divided into four treatment groups, T1, T2, T3 and T4. Experimental diets were prepared by mixing rice bran, deoiled mustard cake, soybean meal and vitamin mineral mixture. The leaf powder of T. cordifolia was incorporated into diets D2, D3 and D4 @ 0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75%, respectively. In control diet D1, leaf powder of T. cordifolia was not incorporated. T1 group fishes were fed with D1 diet, T2 with D2, T3 with D3 and T4 with D4 @ 5% body weight per day for 90 days. Fingerlings fed with diet D4 achieved significantly improved Specific Growth Rate (1), Feed Conversion Ratio (2.76), and Gross Conversion Efficiency (0.361) as compared to the control and all other treatments (P <0.05). Hematological and biochemical parameters, total leuckocyte count (53.849×103/µL), total erythrocyte count (3.50×106/µL), hemoglobin concentration (17.17%), total serum protein, albumin and globulin (12.35, 1.56 and 10.78 g/dL) in D4 diet fed fishes showed increase as compared to the control and all other treatments (P <0.05). The above research revealed that Tinospora cordifolia leaf powder has significant growth promoting and immunostimulatory potential in Amur carp raising.