| Summary: | This study investigated the interactive effects of mulberry leaf meals (MLM) and bamboo charcoal additive (BCA) on growth performance, anti-oxidant capacity, and disease resistance of genetically improved farmed tilapia (GIFT) juveniles (Oreochromis niloticus). An 8-week (56-day) feeding trial of 2 × 3 factorial experiment was carried out wherein fish were fed with six diets containing graded levels of MLM (15 %, 30 %) and BCA (0.4 %, 0.8 %, 1.2 %). The results showed that different amounts of MLM and interaction between MLM and BCA influenced the growth performance of GIFT (P < 0.05). Plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were reduced in fish fed 15 % MLM supplemented with 0.4 % BCA (P < 0.05). Total anti-oxidant capacity (T-AOC) and glutathione (GSH) were enhanced in the liver of GIFT fed diets containing 30 % MLM supplemented with 0.4 % BCA (P < 0.05). After we challenged the fish with Streptococcus agalactiae, we observed the lowest mortality rate in the group fed a high amount of MLM (30 %) and low amount of BCA (0.4 %). The results revealed that it was acceptable to fed GIFT mulberry leaf meal supplemented with bamboo charcoal additive. The diet containing 30 % of mulberry leaf meal and 0.4 % bamboo charcoal additive improved the growth performance, blood lipid metabolism, anti-oxidant and anti-disease capacity of GIFT juveniles.
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