Improvement of quality of sesame Seasamum indicum seed meal protein with supplemental amino acids in feeds for rohu Labeo rohita (Hamilton) fingerlings

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted in a static indoor rearing system to examine the effects of partial substitution of fish meal (FM) protein with sesame seed meal protein with and without supplemental amino acids in diets for rohu Labeo rohita fingerlings (average weight 3.82 +/- 0.05 g), Before incorporation into diets, sesame Seasamum indicum seed meal was fermented with lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus acidophilus in order to reduce/elim inate the antinutritional factors tannin and phytic acid present in it, Twe lve experimental diets (diets D1 to D12) were formulated replacing the FM p rotein from a reference diet with sesame seed meal protein at different lev els (four sets of diets, of which each set of three diets contained 30%, 40 % and 50% replacement of FM protein by sesame seed meal protein respectivel y). Diets D1 to D3 were not supplemented with any amino acid, Lysine was su pplemented to diets D4 to D6, Diets D7 to D9 were supplemented with methion ine-cystine (together), and diets D10 to D12 contained lysine and methionin e-cystine (together), Lysine and methionine-cystine were added to the diets at 5.7% and 3.1% of dietary protein respectively, The groups of fish fed d iets without any supplemental amino acids had significantly lower percentag e weight gain, specific growth rate (SGR) and higher feed:gain ratio (FGR) than the groups of fish fed on other experimental diets. The addition of ly sine and methionine-cystine to the diet in which 50% of FM protein was repl aced by sesame meal protein (diet D12) significantly improved fish weight g ain and FGR, The percentage live weight gain and SGR values differed signif icantly (P<0.01) from each other in the fish fed diets D10 to D12, which we re supplemented with all three amino acids. The results of the present stud y suggest that rohu fingerlings can effectively utilize the supplemented am ino acids and that sesame seed meal protein can replace up to 50% of FM pro tein in the diets for rohu if the sesame seed meal is properly processed (f ermented) and supplemented with deficient amino acids.