Asian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Research

The African catfish contains significant amount of omega-6, which has been reported to cause cardiovascular problems in man, therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the anti-hypercholesterolemic effect of mushroom, and turmeric supplemented diet in Clarias gariepinus. 200 juvenile African catfish were procured from a reputable fish farm and were acclimatized to laboratory condition for 14 days. The test organisms were divided into four groups with a replicate for each set up. Group 1 were fed with basal diet, group 2 with mushroom-supplemented diet, group three with turmeric-supplemented diet, and the fourth group were fed with the combined-supplemented diets. After 48 days of the experiment, the test organisms were sacrificed and blood was collected via caudal vein for haematological analysis including red blood cells (RBC), white blood cells (WBC), haemoglobin and platelet count. Liver and kidney were excised for biochemical enzymes investigations for alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase levels (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, Creatinine levels and urea levels. The haematological and biochemical data were analyzed and presented as mean ± SEM using IBM SPSS version 20.0. The mean was further subjected to multiple comparisons using Duncan Multiple Range Test at 5% level of significance. The results showed a significantly improved WBC, RBC, haemoglobin, and haematocrit levels with turmeric-diet. Mushroom-diet increased MCV (164.80 ± 3.70) values, while the combined supplemented-diet increased platelet counts but reduced RBC, haemoglobin, and MCHC. Liver enzyme ALT remained stable across all groups, while turmeric lowered AST (15.92 ± 2.27) and ALP (23.48 ± 3.74), indicating liver protection. The combination group showed increased total protein and globulin, suggesting enhanced immunity, while the liver enzymes creatinine levels remained stable across all groups, suggesting that renal function was not compromised, but elevated urea levels in the combination group warrant further investigation. In conclusion, findings highlight the supplements’ potential to improve fish health and aquaculture productivity.