Effect of Plant Based Feed Attractants on Growth of Cirrhinus mrigala Fingerlings

A 60-d experiment was conducted to study the efficacy of plant-based attractants in the feed of Cirrhinus mrigala fingerlings (av. weight 5.24 +/- 0.02g). The formulated feed contained mustard cake, soyabean meal, rice bran, vegetable oil, vitamin and mineral mixture with 1% feed attractants replacing rice bran. The different attractants used in feeds are: FA0 (Control), FA1 (Awbel, Cuscuta reflexa), FA2 (Kharboj, Cucumis melo), FA3 (Tambul, Zanthoxylum acanthopodium), FA4 (Chotokakla, Piper cubeba) and FA5 (Jayatri, Myristica fragrans). The net weight gain (g) was 1.05 +/- 0.15, 2.43 +/- 0.08, 1.45 +/- 0.05, 1.53 +/- 0.28, 1.50 +/- 0.02, 2.05 +/- 0.05, respectively in dietary groups Control to FA5. The growth study with different attractants revealed that the net weight gain and specific growth rate (SGR) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in mrigal fingerlings fed FA1 compared to other groups. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (P < 0.05) lower in FA1 and FA5. The proximate composition of Carcass did not differ significantly (P > 0.05) among the groups fed with different plant based feed attractants. Thus it may be concluded that out of the attractants tested in the present experiment, use of Awbel at 1% level (FA1) in the diet induced better performance in terms of growth and feed utilisation in mrigal fingerlings.