Effect of Аrtemisia annua L. extract on growth performance, biochemical blood parameters and meat quality of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss W.), cultivated in recirculating system

Abstract. Medicinal herbs can be used as feed additives to improve animal growth performance and to optimize physiological processes. The purpose of this study was to trace growth performance, meat quality and biochemical blood parameters (glucose, urea, creatinine, total protein, albumin, ASAT, ALAT, Ca, P, Mg, triglycerides, cholesterol) of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss W.), fed with additive sweet wormwood (Аrtemisia annua L.) extract. In a recirculation system at the Aquaculture Base of the Faculty of Agriculture at Trakia University, a control group (no added) and an experimental (with added 204 mg.kg-1 of sweet wormwood extract) option were set, each of them with two replicates and mean initial weight of fish 13.32±3.07g and 13.37±2.76g, respectively. Forty specimens of rainbow trouts in good health condition were placed in each tank and cultivated for 60 days. At the end of the experiment average final weight, specific growth rates, feed conversion ratio, meat quality and blood biochemical parameters were calculated. Trouts from the experimental group, fed with supplement had 5.5% higher average final weight compared to this one of individuals from the control (P0.05). Electrolytes of blood such as phosphorus (P) had higher level in the experimental group (P>0.05) compared to the control group. Better growth performance and blood parameters were measured in trout fed sweet wormwood supplement