Growth performance and feed efficiency of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) supplemented with β-glucan, mannan oligosaccharides, and nucleotides under different trial periods and sizes of fish
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5433/1679-0359.2025v46n6p1841Keywords:
Aquafeed, Feeding trials, Polysaccharides, Prebiotic, Zootechnical parameters.Abstract
Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) is the most commercially available species of freshwater fish in Brazil. As producers intensify their operations to meet market demand, there is a growing need for strategies to accelerate growth and optimize feed use. Functional feed additives such as β-glucan, mannan oligosaccharides (MOS), and dietary nucleotides have been researched individually, with the goal of enhancing growth performance; however, studies on their combined use in tilapia remain limited. The aim of this study was to compile and analyze growth performance data from three trials evaluating these additives, applied individually and in combination, in Nile tilapia under different initial weights, feeding durations, and rearing conditions. A total of 492 fish were used in the three experiments. In the first 46-day trial with fingerlings (~8 g), six treatments were tested: 1) control diet, 2) β-glucan/MOS (2 g/kg), 3) Nucleotides 15% (2.1 g/kg), 4) β-glucan/MOS combined with Nucleotides 15% (1.05 g/kg each), 5) Free nucleotides (2.1 g/kg), and 6) Free nucleotides+β-glucan/MOS (1.05 g/kg each). The results showed that the diet containing nucleotides extracted from Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell walls (nucleotides 15% ) improved the final weight, length, and specific growth rate compared to the corresponding values in the control group, emphasizing the benefits of polynucleotide structures in nutrient absorption. In the second trial (30 days) fish weighing ~25 g were used to specifically evaluate the combined additive (β-glucan/MOS + nucleotides 15% at 1.05 g/kg each) in comparison to the control group. The fish receiving this diet consumed significantly less feed daily while maintaining a similar weight gain, possibly indicating improved feed efficiency and potential metabolic synergy of the additives. The third trial, which replicated the same six treatments as the first experiment but over only 30 days, showed no significant differences among groups in terms of either growth or feed parameters. Notably, none of the additives adversely affected performance in any trial, confirming their safety. These findings suggest that combining β-glucan, MOS, and nucleotides from two different sources, particularly yeast-derived nucleotides, can support enhanced growth over longer feeding periods and may (when combined with β-glucan/MOS) reduce feed intake in larger fish without compromising gains. In future studies, the feeding period should be extended beyond 46 days, and responses to health or environmental stress should be analyzed to better understand the additional benefits of the proposed diet. In summary, this study demonstrates the potential of integrated nutritional strategies to improve the efficiency and sustainability of Nile tilapia production.
Downloads
References
Amillano-Cisneros, J. M., Fuentes-Valencia, M. A., Leyva-Morales, J. B., Davizón, Y.A., Marquéz-Pacheco, H., Valencia-Castañeda, G., Maldonado-Coyac J. A., Ontiveros-García L. A. & Badilla-Medina, C. N. (2023). Prebiotics in global and Mexican fish aquaculture: a review. Animals, 13(23), 3607. doi: 10.3390/ani13233607
Associação Brasileira da Piscicultura (2025). Anuário Peixe BR da piscicultura 2025. Peixe BR.
Barducci, R. S., Abreu, V. de, Santos, A. A. D., Pacheco, L. G., Koch, J. F. A., Florencio, M., & Pilarski, F. (2022). Natural feed additive containing Saccharomyces cerevisiae-originated free nucleotides improves innate immunity, gut histology, and disease resistance in Nile tilapia. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 289, 115337. doi: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2022.115337
Bowyer, P. H., El‐Haroun, E. R., Hassaan, M., Salim, H., & Davies, S. J. (2019). Dietary nucleotides enhance growth performance, feed efficiency and intestinal functional topography in European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax). Aquaculture Research, 50(7), 1921-1930. doi: 10.1111/are.14078
Brum, A., Magnotti, C., Tsuzuki, M. Y., Sousa, E. M. D. O., Mouriño, J. L. P., Martins, M. L., Lopes R. G., Derner R. B & Owatari, M. S. (2025). Pivotal roles of fish nutrition and feeding: recent advances and future outlook for Brazilian fish farming. Fishes, 10(2), 47. doi: 10.3390/fishes10020047
De Verdal, H., Vandeputte, M., Mekkawy, W., Chatain, B., & Benzie, J. A. (2018). Quantifying the genetic parameters of feed efficiency in juvenile Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus. BMC genetics, 19(105). doi: 10.1186/s12863-018-0691-y
Ding, T., Song, G., Liu, X., Xu, M., & Li, Y. (2021). Nucleotides as optimal candidates for essential nutrients in living organisms: a review. Journal of Functional Foods, 82, 104498. doi: 10.1016/j.jff.2021.104498
El-Bab, A. F. F., Saghir, S. A., El-Naser, I. A. A., El-Kheir, S. M. A., Abdel-Kader, M. F., Alruhaimi, R. S., Alqhtani H. A., Mahmoud A. M., Naiel M. A. E. & El-Raghi, A. A. (2022). The effect of dietary Saccharomyces cerevisiae on growth performance, oxidative status, and immune response of sea bream (Sparus aurata). Life, 12(7), 1013. doi: 10.3390/life12071013
Hoang, D. H., Lam, H. S., & Nguyen, C. V. (2018). Efficiency of dietary β-glucan supplementation on growth, body composition, feed, and nutrient utilization in juveniles of pompano fish (Trachinotus ovatus, Linnaeus, 1758). Israeli Journal of Aquaculture-Bamidgeh, 70, 1-13. ISSN 0792 - 156X
Hoang, D. H., Thuy, N. T. T., & Ky, P. X. (2024). A synergistic effect of dietary β-glucan and mannan oligosaccharide on growth performance, haematology, body composition, nutrient utilisation, and intestinal morphology in pompano, Trachinotus ovatus. Regional Studies in Marine Science, 73, 103494. doi: 10.1016/j.rsma.2024.103494
Jami, M. J., Kenari, A. A., Paknejad, H., & Mohseni, M. (2019). Effects of dietary β-glucan, mannan oligosaccharide, Lactobacillus plantarum and their combinations on growth performance, immunity and immune related gene expression of Caspian trout, Salmo trutta caspius (Kessler, 1877). Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 91, 202-208. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2019.05.024
Leal, C. N. S., Lima, E. C. S., Oliveira, C. A. L., Ribeiro, R. P., Poveda-Parra, A. R., Machida, E. K., Prestes, V. A., Lopes, A. C., Pereira, U. P., & Lopera-Barrero, N. M. (2024). Zootechnical parameters and hepatosomatic index of two genetic strains of Nile tilapia fed with β-Glucan + Mannan oligosaccharide (βG+MOS). Semina: Ciências Agrárias, 45(4), 1335-1342. doi: 10.5433/1679-0359.2024v45n4p1335
Liu, L., Fang, J., Liang, X. F., & He, S. (2020). Nucleotide promotes feed intake and protein utilization via regulating the gene expression of feeding and nitrogen metabolism in juvenile Chinese perch (Siniperca chuatsi). Aquaculture Nutrition, 26(5), 1702-1712. doi: 10.1111/anu.13121
Lopera-Barrero, N. M., Souza, F. P. de, Lima, E. C. S. de, Odebrecht, L. M., Pandolfi, V. C. F., Leal, C. N. S., Pereira U. P., Pupim A. C. E., Meletti P. C., & Almeida Araújo, E. J. de. (2024). Influence of feeding frequency on growth, hematology, blood biochemistry, liver histology, and intestinal microbiota in the Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus). Semina: Ciências Agrárias, 45(3), 727-748. doi: 10.5433/1679-0359.2024v45n3p727
Machuca, C., Méndez-Martínez, Y., Reyes-Becerril, M., & Angulo, C. (2022). Yeast β-glucans as fish immunomodulators: a review. Animals, 12(16), 2154. doi: 10.3390/ani12162154
Madhulika, Meinam, M., Deepti, M., Ngasotter, S., Gupta, S. S., & Varghese, T. (2025). Functional feed additives in aquaculture to improve food security. In Sundaray, J.K., Rather, M.A., Ahmad, I., Amin, A. (eds), Food security, nutrition and sustainability through aquaculture technologies (pp. 375-396). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-75830-0_21
Mameloco, E. J. G., & Traifalgar, R. F. M. (2020). Supplementation of combined mannan oligosaccharide and β-glucan immunostimulants improves immunological responses and enhances resistance of Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp, Penaeus vannamei, against Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection. International Aquatic Research, 12(4), 291-299. doi: 10.22034/iar.2020.1903079.1060
Prabu, E., Rajagopalsamy, C. B. T., Ahilan, B., Jeevagan, I. J. M. A., & Renuhadevi, M. J. A. R. (2019). Tilapia–an excellent candidate species for world aquaculture: a review. Annual Research & Review in Biology, 31(3), 1-14. doi: 10.9734/ARRB/2019/v31i330052
Rodde, C., Vandeputte, M., Trinh, T. Q., Douchet, V., Canonne, M., Benzie, J. A., & De Verdal, H. (2021). The effects of feed restriction and isolated or group rearing on the measurement of individual feed intake and estimation of feed conversion ratio in juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) for selective breeding purposes. Frontiers in Genetics, 11, 596521. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2020.596521
Rodríguez-Hernández, M. E., Martínez-Castellanos, G., López-Méndez, M. C., Reyes-Gonzalez, D., & González-Moreno, H. R. (2025). Production costs and growth performance of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in intensive production systems: a review. Sustainability, 17(4), 1745. doi: 10.3390/su17041745
Sonea, C., Gheorghe-Irimia, R. A., Tapaloaga, D., Gurau, M. R., Udrea, L., & Tapaloaga, P. R. (2023). Optimizing animal nutrition and sustainability through precision feeding: a mini review of emerging strategies and technologies. Annals of'Valahia'University of Târgovişte. Agriculture, 15(2), 7-11. doi: 10.2478/AGR-2023-0011
Trejchel, K., Żarski, D., Palińska-Żarska, K., Krejszeff, S., Dryl, B., Dakowski, K., & Kucharczyk, D. (2014). Determination of the optimal feeding rate and light regime conditions in juvenile burbot, Lota lota (L.), under intensive aquaculture. Aquaculture International, 22(1), 195-203. doi: 10.1007/s10499-013-9670-5
Wang, T., Wu, H. X., Li, W. J., Xu, R., Qiao, F., Du, Z. Y., & Zhang, M. L. (2022b). Effects of dietary mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) supplementation on metabolism, inflammatory response and gut microbiota of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fed with high carbohydrate diet. Fish & Shellfish Immunology, 130, 550-559. doi: 10.1016/j.fsi.2022.09.052
Wang, T., Xu, R., Qiao, F., Du, Z. Y., & Zhang, M. L. (2022a). Effects of mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) on glucose and lipid metabolism of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) fed with high carbohydrate diet. Animal Feed Science and Technology, 292, 115449. doi: 10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2022.115449
Xu, L., Ran, C., He, S., Zhang, J., Hu, J., Yang, Y., Du Z., Yang Y. & Zhou, Z. (2015). Effects of dietary yeast nucleotides on growth, non-specific immunity, intestine growth and intestinal microbiota of juvenile hybrid tilapia Oreochromis niloticus♀× Oreochromis aureus♂. Animal Nutrition, 1(3), 244-251. doi: 10.1016/j.aninu.2015.08.006
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Cindy Namie Seino Leal, Natália Amoroso Ferrari, Victor César Freitas Pandolfi, Angela Rocio Poveda-Parra, Ed Christian Suzuki de Lima, João Fernando Albers Koch, Carolina Schlotefeldt, Paulo César Melett, Raffaella Menegheti Mainardi, Nelson Mauricio Lopera-Barrero
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Semina: Ciências Agrárias adopts the CC-BY-NC license for its publications, the copyright being held by the author, in cases of republication we recommend that authors indicate first publication in this journal.
This license allows you to copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format, remix, transform and develop the material, as long as it is not for commercial purposes. And due credit must be given to the creator.
The opinions expressed by the authors of the articles are their sole responsibility.
The magazine reserves the right to make normative, orthographic and grammatical changes to the originals in order to maintain the cultured standard of the language and the credibility of the vehicle. However, it will respect the writing style of the authors. Changes, corrections or suggestions of a conceptual nature will be sent to the authors when necessary.
