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Abstract. The effects of dietary supplementation with flesh ripe fruit of Thai local cultivated banana CV. Kluai Namwa (ripe fruit of banana, RFB) on Nile tilapia growth performance and meat quality were focused in this study. Fishes with average initial weight 58.75±2.08 g were divided into 4 groups and fed for 15 weeks with feeding diet containing the RFB at 0% (control), 1%, 5%, and 10% kg-1 diet. Significant increases in growth parameters such as average weight, weight gain, average daily growth and specific growth rate were apparently gained up to 13.33-16.28%, 16.09-19.65%, 15.93-19.63% and 7.14-8.33%, respectively, by these RFB supplementary. Moreover, better feed conversion rate could be obtained with the ratio 1.54-1.57 when compared to the ratio 1.68 of unsupplemented control. Meanwhile, there was no difference in yield percentage and survival rate of the fish in all experiments. Although the meat quality measured by fillet hardness value in raw fish showed non significantly difference, but an improving of its texture was found in steamed fillets of RFB-supplement fed fishes with the value of 1.06-1.10 in comparison to the value 1.57 of the control one. Sensory preference by consumer was also evaluated by the meat appearance, color, odor, taste, texture and overall preferences of steamed fillets. The best values at 7, 6.9, 6.94, 7.18, 7.14, and 7.22, respectively, were revealed from those of the 10% RFB supplemented trial. In addition, neither variegated effect nor mortality caused by RFB supplementation to liver and intestine of experimental fishes was signified by a thorough histological investigation.
Key Words: cultivated banana CV. Kluai Namwa, flesh ripe fruit, Nile tilapia, growth, meat quality.
Introduction. Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is one the main cultured freshwater fish species worldwide including Thailand, accounting to its valuable source of protein and essential nutrients. Extensive culture has grown rapidly since the last decade to meet a continuous increasing of customer's demand. Currently, the Nile tilapia has been cultured under intensive system as mass production with a crowded density and surplus expensive diet feed. This closed system has threatened the fish's health which concomitantly leads to undesirable outcomes such as physiological stresses, immunosuppression, disease outbreak, and finally loss of production (Diegane et al 2007). Accumulation of spoilage residues and fish belonging waste also causes...