EFFECTS OF FEEDING UNCONVENTIONAL ANIMAL PROTEIN-SOURCES ON THE NITROGEN-METABOLISM IN ROHU-LABEO-ROHITA (HAMILTON)

A bioassay trial of 8 weeks was conducted in the laboratory to study t he effect of incorporation of certain unconventional animal protein so urces (meat-cum-bone meal, hydrolyzed feather meal, fleshings meal and blood meal) in the diet of Labeo rohita fingerlings (avg wt 8.2 +/- 0 .11 g). Five isonitrogenous and isocaloric diets were prepared using f ish meal (Group I, control), blood meal (Group II), feather meal (Grou p III), fleshing meal (Group IV) and meal-cum-bone meal (Group V) as p rincipal protein sources. The activities of alanine amino-transferase and aspartate aminotransferase in liver, kidney, gills and muscle were relatively less in groups I and V than others, indicating that the no n-essential amino acid metabolism was less in this group. Glutamate de hydrogenase activity in liver (hepatopancreas) was found to be highest in the control group followed by group V, which suggested that the ti ssue was quite active in nitrogen metabolism in these groups compared to others and that, among the various unconventional animal protein so urces tested, protein rating of meat-cum-bone meal was next to fish me al and an acceptable alternative for fish meal in the diet of this car p species.