Enhancing Red Pigments of Cichlids by Adding Astaxanthin in Diets
By Autcharee rengdat
The optimal dosage of astaxanthin for enhancing pigmentation in cichlids was studied. Cichlids fish were daily fed as 3 percent of body weigh which astaxanthin was mixed at 0, 10, 30, 50 or 70 milligram of commercial feed for 14 weeks. At the end of the the experiment, there were no statistically difference on average final body weight, daily weight gain, survival rate, feed conversion ratio, feed conversion efficiency, and protein efficiency ratio (P>0.05). After 14 week, the hue angle of pigment of cichlids fish fed 0, 10, 30, 50 and 70 mg/kg were 105.53, 96.62, 92.30, 87.65, and 86.83, respectively. It was found that the hue angle was significantly reduced as the concentration of astaxanthin increased (P<0.05). The carotenoid contents of flesh from cichlids fish fed astaxanthin 0, 10, 30, 50 and 70 mg/kg were 0.84, 2.12, 4.20, 8.36 and 9.06 mg/kg, respectively. However, the cichlids fish fed astaxanthin 50 and 70 mg/kg had no difference neither in hue angle of pigment nor carotenoid contents (P>0.05).
March 11 2008 02:10 pm | Research