The global health implications of antibiotics over use in fish farming to increase the aquaculture growth as to meet commercial demand is a serious concern hence the need for medicinal plants (phytobiotics) as alternative. Phytobiotics are plant based compounds that promote growth, improve the innate immune system and overall productivity of fish. This study evaluates the beneficial effects of individual and combined Phytobiotics powder; moringa leaf, ginger, garlic, and a combination of the three, as well as a control diet with no additives on growth performance and innate immune gene expression of Clarias gariepinus juveniles. It was observed that relative to the juveniles in the control diet, growth and nutrient utilization indices of juveniles in Phytobiotics diets increased, with treatment Fish fed with garlic having higher growth and feed utilization in terms of weight gain: 381.6 ± 71, feed conversion ratio: 2.7 ± 0.39, specific growth rate: 0.849 ± 1.72 and relative growth rate: 2.932 ± 0.23 when compared to the control fish fed diet as well as moringa and a combination of the Phyto-biotics fed supplements. The expression of the innate immune gene TNF-α was seen to be downregulated in Clarias gariepinus fed with Phyto-biotics supplements; moringa, ginger, garlic, and their combination having a fold change of; 0.124 ± 0.034, 0.196 ± 0.145, 0.288 ± 0.088, 0.097 ± 0.30 respectively. TNF-α expression was upregulated in Fish fed with a control fish-fed diet (had no Phyto-biotics fed supplements) having a fold change of 1.436 ± 0.791. The results of this study showed that juveniles fed Phyto-additive diets of garlic and ginger performed better than those fed a combination of the supplements. However, those in the Phyto-biotics fed supplements diet were seen to be downregulated TNF-α expression, implying that the innate immune response of Clarias gariepinus fed with this supplement will be inactive and ineffective against environmental pathogens in Fish.    Keywords: Phytobiotics, growth performance, immunity, gene expression, Clarias gariepinus

Authors:

Iwalewa Megbowon, Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research  (iwalewamegbor@gmail.com)