Abstract
Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) is one of the underutilized legumes in animal feed production partly because of its high antinutritional factors. This study investigated the nutritional value of C. ensiformis seed subjected to hydrothermal processing in the diet of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus. Five batches of C. ensiformis seeds were hydrothermally processed in boiling water (100 °C) for 0, 10, 20, 30 and 40 min, respectively. Proximate composition of the seed showed no significant effect of hydrothermal processing on protein and fat content of C. ensiformis. However, all essential amino acids were significantly affected. The anti-nutritional factor canavanine was not markedly reduced even at 40 min hydrothermal processing. Fifty fingerlings of C. gariepinus (1.07 ± 0.01 g) were stocked in 15 hapas measuring 1 × 1 × 1m3, labeled in triplicate according to five isonitrogenous diets (35% CP) formulated using the processed C. ensiformis seed at an inclusion level of 27%. The highest body weight gain (2.73 g), specific growth rate (2.26gday−1), feed conversion efficiency (34.11%) and protein efficiency ratio (0.078) were observed at hydrothermal treatment of 30 and 40 min. Hydrothermal processing of C. ensiformis up to 40 min could be exploited in the commercial and on-farm production of catfish diet at 27% level of inclusion. Keywords: Jack bean, Unconventional feed, Hydrothermal, Anti-nutritional factor, African catfish
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