STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF CHOLESTEROL ADDITION TO THE SHRIMP DIET ON THE GROWTH AND FINISHING OF WHITE INDICUS PRAWN (PENAEUS INDICUS)

Abstract. Population increase, enhancing demand for food, especially the optimal use of marine resources, low levels of production in shrimp farms, lack of planning, and pleasant nutrition in farms, requires that research projects on manual feeding in cultural farms of shrimp take place according to the conditions of each region. Recently, shrimp feeding in the world has been accompanied by various innovations in order to maximize the productivity of both the existing ecosystem and the physiological potential of this aquatic species. Cholesterol is one of the ingredients that, in addition to the urgent need for it to be used in the metabolic system to gain weight, as an essential nutrient, increases the number of molting and as a stimulantion for growth. In this regard, the present research, which is the first manual feeding in the Chah-Bahar region of Iran, evaluates the most appropriate and optimal amount of cholesterol in white indicus prawn (P.indicus) diets. In this research, different levels of artificial cholesterol levels of 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75 and 1% of total feed were added to the shrimp feed of Iranian commercially pellets by dissolving in refined and spray soybean oil and then, in a 100 day culturing period in semi-intensive system, the effects of these cholesterol levels were evaluated and investigated. Finally, it was concluded that the addition of 0.5% artificial cholesterol in prawn (shrimp) diet, significantly increased levels of food intake by 0.05 and 0.01 probability level, the final weight gain of each shrimp and the increase in the final harvest of shrimp per unit area by using a completely randomized design (CRD). Also, adding this amount of cholesterol in shrimp dietaries has led to improved survival rate and feed conversion ratio (FCR).Keywords: Aquatic Food Industry, cholesterol, shrimp diet, white indicus prawn (Penaeus indicus

Utilization of fungal treated wheat straw in the diet of late lactating cow

Eight primiparous Holstein cows, in late lactation (255±10 days in milk) and yielding 10.3±1.3 kg/d of 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) were allocated into two groups randomly. Two diets containing 30% wheat straw either untreated (UWS) or treated with Pleurotus ostreatus (FTWS) were offered as total mixed ration (TMR). In vivo digestibility of the diets was determined, using acid insoluble ash as a marker. Daily milk production was recorded and milk samples were collected and analysed. Diet FTWS resulted in significantly (p<0.05) higher dry matter intake (DMI) (12.2±0.86 vs. 10.6±1.3), DM digestibility (58.8 vs. 52.3) and milk yield (9 vs. 7.5 kg). Milk fat contents were 34.2 and 35.6 g/liter that did not differ between cows fed treated or untreated straw. However, the concentrations of lactose, solid non fat, total solids and milk protein for diets UWS and FTWS were 57.3 and 54.9, 98.9 and 93.2, 134.5 and 127.4, 35.7 and 32.3 g/l, respectively, which differed significantly (p<0.05). The average body weights gain (BWG) for UWS and FTWS were 272 and 743 g/d, respectively (p<0.05). The FCM yield per kg of DMI was similar (0.68 and 0.67 liter) for the two groups, but BWG/kgDMI was higher in the FTWS diet

Nutritive value of wheat straw treated with Pleurotus fungi

Soaked and pasteurised wheat straw was inoculated with five species of Pleurotus fungi (coded P-21, P-30, P-41, P-60 and P-90), packed in polyethylene bags and incubated in a fermentation chamber for 21 days. The chemical composition, in vitro digestibility and in sacco degradability of the treated and untreated straw were estimated using a complete randomised design consisting of six treatments and four replicates. In a feeding trial, in vivo digestibility and voluntary intake were determined in bulls, using a 3x3 change over design. Dietary treatments were: 1) untreated wheat straw (UWS) as control; 2) fungal treated (P-41) wheat straw before mushroom formation (FTWS); 3) spent wheat straw (SPWS) after mushrooms were harvested. Apart from P-90, fungal treatment significantly (p<0.05) increased the crude protein (CP) and reduced the cell wall components of the straw. The in vitro dry mater and organic mater digestibility significantly (p<0.05) increased in the treated straw particularly with the treatments of P-41 and P-60. The in situ degradability and in vivo digestibility of DM and OM were significantly (p<0.05) increased in treated straws with the highest values observed for treatment P-41. The intake of DM, OM and digestible organic mater (DOM) were significantly (p<0.05) increased in cows fed FTWS

Effect of fungal treated wheat straw on the diet of lactating cows

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of diets that contained different levels of fungal treated wheat straw on the intake, digestibility and performance of lactating cows. Eight primiparous Holstein cows, in late lactation ranging from 170±10 days in milk and yielding 14.3±1.3 kg/d of fat corrected milk (FCM) were allocated into four diets with 0, 10, 20 and 30% fungal (Pleurotus ostreatus coded P-41) treated wheat straw in a 4×4 Latin Square experiment. The daily intake of DM, OM, DOM, CP and TDN were not affected by substitution of alfalfa hay with fungal treated wheat straw. Inclusion of the treated straw at different levels in the diet did not affect the digestibility of nutrients, except for the ADF that was significantly (p0.05) different among the diets. All cows gained weight, but the inclusion of treated straw to the diet significantly (p<0.05) increased the body weight gain and the highest amount was obtained in the diet containing 20% treated. Inclusion of fungal treated wheat straw up to 30% of the diet of lactating cows supplemented with a protein source such as cottonseed meal had not affected the nutrients intake and lactation performance