Effect of saffron petal powder on feed, growth performance and antioxidant enzymes activity of grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idella)

The present study was conducted to determine the effect of saffron petal powder on the growth and activity of antioxidant enzymes in the grass carp larva (Ctenopharyngodon idella). Fish larva (0.75 ± 0.03 g and 4.39± 0.09 cm) were fed separately with four levels of saffron petal powder diets which were included; P0 (0%), P1 (2%), P2 (4%) and P3 (6%) for 60 days. One thousand two hundred fish were divided randomly into 12 tanks (4 experimental treatments and each with 3 replications). End of the experiment, growth (final weight, final length, daily growth rate, weight gain, specific growth rate and condition factor), feed (food conversion ratio and food conversion efficiency) and Antioxidant (glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, malonyldialdehyde and catalase) parameters were evaluated. Growth parameters were enhanced following feeding with saffron petal powder compared with the control group. The final weight and specific growth rate in P2 treatment increased significantly compared to control, while there was a significant reduction in food conversion ratio (FCR) in this treatment. In addition, the activities of MDA and Catalase were significantly decreased in the fish larvae fed with different levels of supplement compared to those of the control group. A significant enhancement in the SOD and GPX parameters of P3 compared to control. This research demonstrated that the saffron petal powder of 6% could be used as a promising feed additive in aquaculture.