GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF Clarias gariepinus FED WITH DIFFERENT COMMERCIAL FEEDS

The growth performance of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) fingerlings fed with four commercial feed (Top, Vital, Lynx and Coppens) feeds was studied investigated with the aim of establishing the best quality feed in terms of growth rate, total weight and percentage survival rate, for a period of eight weeks. One hundred and eighty (180) fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus and four commercial feeds with varying proximate compositions was used for the experiment. Water quality parameters analyzed indicated temperature varied between 26.380C and 27.050C while pH ranged between 6.51 to 7.2and dissolved oxygen value was between4.70mg/l and 6.49mg/l respectively. The treatment shows significant difference in terms of mean weight gain, specific growth rates and survival rates (P<0.05). In terms of weight gain vital feed gave the best growth of 40.91g, top feed (29.41g), lynx feed had 26.92 and coppens feed had the lowest value of 24.74g. The best size in length (23.80) was observes for coppens. Survival rate showed Top feed having 100% followed Coppens feed (93.3%) while the lowest was recorded in Vital feed(46.67%)

Comparative studies of the growth performance of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings fed commercial feedstuff and live zooplankton

This study on the growth performance of Clarias gariepinus fingerlings fed separately on zooplankton, coppens, aquaculture feed and a combination of Coppens and zooplankton lasted for 8 weeks. Ninety (90) three-week old Hatchery bred fingerlings of Clarias gariepinus used for the study were acclimated for three (3) days in a concrete tank measuring 1m x 1m and fed with fish meal, before commencement of the experiment. The fingerlings were grouped in tens into 9 concrete tanks measuring 1m x 1m x 1m. These tanks were further grouped into threes to give three treatments labelled A1 - A3, B1 - B3 and C1 - C3. Treatment I (A1 - A3) were fed with zooplankton, Treatment II (B1 - B3) were fed zooplankton and 3% body weight of coppens, while Treatment III (C1 - C3) was fed with 5% body weight of coppens only. Zooplanktons used were mainly rotifers, branchionus and Cyclops. Total length and weight of fish were measured weekly and used as growth indices. Data collected were analyzed using one way Analysis of variance and means separated by Duncan's Multiple Range Test. Results from the study revealed that Treatments II and III were not significantly different from each other (P>0.05) for both length and weight, but were different from Treatment I (P<0.05). Based on the result, Treatment II is preferred and is recommended, for use, as zooplankton feed supplement helps to reduce cost of production and still ensure optimal production

Comparative effect of local and foreign commercial feeds on the growth and survival of Clarias gariepinus juveniles

Growth and survival of Clarias gariepinus juveniles fed with a local feed and coppens commercial feed were observed for 16 weeks at&nbsp; the laboratory of the Department of Zoology, University of Ilorin, Nigeria. The proximate compositions and economics of the feeds and water quality of the cultured tanks were assessed. Fish fed with coppens showed significant (P&lt;0.05) higher weight increase, specific growth rate, protein efficiency ratio and low food conversion ratio than fish fed with local feed. Significant (P&lt;0.05) higher mortality were recorded in fish fed with the local feed. The growth performance was a reflection of the proximate composition of the feeds with local feed having low crude protein (10.95%), lipid (3.95%) and ash (4.92%) when compared to coppens which had 42% crude protein, 12% lipid and 9.5% ash with protein being most significant. Carbohydrate (69.90%) and crude fiber (2.88%) were higher in the local feed than in coppens with an imbalance in carbohydrate and lipid ratio. Mortality was attributed to stress resulting from the poor quality of the feed. Cost of feeding with local feed to a weight gain of 31.67g was ₦80, while the cost of feeding with coppens to a weight gain of 148.58g was ₦16

Comparative study on the efficiency of locust bean and imported feed on the growth of african catfish clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Locally prepared feed and coppens feed (imported) were used to feed Clarias gariepinus juveniles, of mean weight 19.4g – 20.5g was evaluated for 8 weeks. Three experimental diets were formulated at 0% (control), 25% and 50% inclusion levels of locust bean treatment, while the coppens was bought directly from the market. Eighty juvenile C. gariepinus were used for the experiment. The experiment was carried out in the laboratory of Biological Sciences, Bayero University, Kano in 25-litre plastic containers. Randomization of 10 fishes per container was used in selecting the samples in order to determine the growth performance. The fish were fed twice daily (8.00am – 6.30pm) at 10% body weight. Their final weight and standard length were recorded. Also temperature, pH, dissolve oxygen and mortality rates were recorded weekly. The result showed that the fish fed imported coppens feed gave the best mean body weight gain, mean standard length gain, specific growth rate and no mortality occurred. While the fish fed 50% locust bean treatment also showed increments in mean body weight gain, mean standard length, specific growth rate and 20% mortality rate. There was also growth performance in 0% (control), while those fed with 25% locust bean treatment gave the least growth performance. There was significant difference between all the experimental diets (P &gt; 0.05). The study demonstrated that locust bean meal can be included in diets of C. gariepinus at inclusion levels of up to 50% in addition to coppens feed. Therefore, it was recommended that locust bean meal could be used partially to replace the expensive and imported fish feed

Project on comparison of structural parameters and electron density maps of oxalic acid dihydrate

Results obtained from four X-ray and five neutron data sets collected under a project sponsored by the Commission on Charge, Spin and Momentum Densities are analyzed by comparison of thermal parameters, positional parameters and X - N electron density maps. Three sets of theoretical calculations are also included in the comparison. Though several chemically significant features are reproduced in all the experimental density maps, differences in detail occur which caution against overinterpretation of the maps. Large differences between vibrational tensor elements Uij are observed which can often not be corrected by the scaling of all temperature parameters in a set. Positional parameters are reproducible to precisions of 0.001 Å or better. The biggest discrepancies between theoretical and experimental deformation density maps occurs in the lone-pair regions where peaks are higher in the theoretical maps. However, this comparison may be affected by inadequacies in the thermal-motion formalism which must be invoked before experimental and theoretical maps can be compared in a quantitative way

Packaging biological cargoes in mesoporous materials: Opportunities for drug delivery

Introduction: Confinement of biomolecules in structured nanoporous materials offers several desirable features ranging from chemical and thermal stability, to resistance to degradation from the external environment. A new generation of mesoporous materials presents exciting new possibilities for the formulation and controlled release of biological agents. Such materials address niche applications in enteral and parenteral delivery of biologics, such as peptides, polypeptides, enzymes and proteins for use as therapeutics, imaging agents, biosensors, and adjuvants.Areas covered: Mesoporous silica Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 (SBA-15), with its unique, tunable pore diameter, and easily functionalized surface, provides a representative example of this new generation of materials. Here, we review recent advances in the design and synthesis of nanostructured mesoporous materials, focusing on SBA-15, and highlight opportunities for the delivery of biological agents to various organ and tissue compartments.Expert opinion: The SBA-15 platform provides a delivery carrier that is inherently separated from the active biologic due to distinct intra and extra-particle environments. This permits the SBA-15 platform to not require direct modification of the active biological therapeutic. Additionally, this makes the platform universal and allows for its application independent of the desired methods of discovery and development. The SBA-15 platform also directly addresses issues of targeted delivery and controlled release, although future challenges in the implementation of this platform reside in particle design, biocompatibility, and the tunability of the internal and external material properties. Examples illustrating the flexibility in the application of the SBA-15 platform are also discussed

Experimental and theoretical characterization of the Zn - Zn bond in [Zn2(η5-C5Me5)2]

The existence and characterization of a bond between the Zn atoms in the recently synthesized complex [Zn2(5-C5Me5)2], as well as between Zn and ligand C atoms is firmly based on neutron diffraction and low-temperature X-ray synchrotron diffraction experiments. The multipolar analysis of the experimental electron density and its topological analysis by means of the Atoms in Molecules (AIM) approach reveals details of the Zn - Zn bond, such as its open-shell intermediate character (the results are consistent with a typical metal-metal single bond), as well as many other topological properties of the compound. Experimental results are also compared with theoretical ab initio calculations of the DFT (density functional theory) and MP2 (Mller-Plesset perturbation theory) electron densities, giving a coherent view of the bonding in the complex. For instance, charges calculated from the AIM approach applied to the atomic basin of each Zn atom are, on average, +0.72 e from both the experimental and the theoretical electron density, showing a moderate charge transfer from the metal, confirmed by the calculated topological indexes.Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia MAT2006-0199