ABSTRACT
In the present work, a total 180 monosex male Nile tilapia fingerlings (15.73 ± 0.05 g) were stocked in 150-l FRP tanks categorised into four diet groups with triplicate each and fed with dietary nano-selenium-supplemented diets at different concentration (T1-0, T2-0.5, T3-1.0 and T4-2.0 mg/kg of feed) for 90 days and different nutrition physiological parameters (feed utilization, haematology, serum biochemistry), immune response and antioxidant were analysed during pre- and post-challenge against Aeromonas hydrophila. The study results depicted that significantly (p < 0.05) better growth and feed utilization (absolute weight gain, specific growth rate, average daily gain, protein efficiency ratio, food conversion ratio) found in fish fed diet supplemented with 1 mg/kg of nano-Se. Significantly (p < 0.05) improved haematological (red blood cells, haemoglobin, white blood cells, platelets) and serum biochemical parameters (alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, cholesterol, triglycerides) observed in the same diet group. The same trend was followed by immune parameters (nitro blue tetrazolium, lysozyme activity, myeloperoxidase, total immunoglobulin). Also observed the statistically (p < 0.05) improved antioxidant activities (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxides, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity) in the same diet group. Relative percent survival after the fishes challenged with A. hydrophila was significantly (p < 0.05) differed. The findings suggested that supplementation of 1 mg/kg of dietary nano-Se could able to ameliorate nutrition physiology, immunity, antioxidant activity and disease resistance in tilapia and proved that it may be one of the best element for fish farmers to increase the production in an economically feasible way.
