Liver Nutrient Concentrations of Clarias gariepinus (Teugels) Adults Fed Graded Levels of Dietary Unprocessed Soyabean Meal

Abstract

The liver nutrient concentrations of Clarias gariepinus  (Teugels) adults (350.28 ± 0.16g) fed graded levels of dietary unprocessed soyabean meal (USBM) were studied for 56 days. Five replacement percentage levels of the processed soyabean meal (SBM) by the USBM were adopted to provide five test diets: D₁, D₂, D₃, D₄ and D₅ at 10.00, 20.00, 30.00, 40.00 and 50.00% USBM respectively. A control diet (D₀) without USBM but with the processed SBM was also used. All the diets were formulated isonitrogenous at 38% crude protein. Significant decreases (P < 0 05) in the values of crude protein (CP), either extract (EE), ash (AS) and nitrogen-free-extract (NFE) in the liver as the dietary USBM level increased imply that the provision of these nutrients in the liver was probably moderated by the quantity of USBM in the diets. The insignificant (P > 0.05) decreases in the values of the macro-elements in the liver i.e. sodium (Na), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) still imply that the rate of absorption of these minerals from the diet was probably dependent on the quantity of USBM in the diets. The increasing levels of dietary USBM (10.00-50.00%) might have imposed negatively on the storage of these minerals in fish livers. The storage of the trace elements (Zn, Fe, Se, Cu and Mn) in the liver followed the pattern shown by the macro-elements except that they decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as the dietary USBM increased