Gabor E. et. al.

/Scientific Papers: Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 2012, 45 (1)

The effect of phytoadditive combinations on growth and

consumption indices and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in
common carp (Cyprinus carpio) juveniles
Gabor Erol-Florian1; A. ara1; M Benea1, Clina Crea2, Anca Baciu3
1
2

University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Manastur Street 3-5, 400372, Romania
National Institute of Public Health, Teritorial Center of Public Health Cluj, Pasteur St., No.6, 400349 Cluj-Napoca,
Romania
3
SC ProPlanta SRL, Cluj Napoca, Mntur 5-7, 400372 Cluj-Napoca, 0264-428800

Abstract
The present trial aimed to determine the effects of some phytoadditive combinations (garlic + ginger group 1E and
oregano + Echinacea group 2E) on the growth and consumption indices and resistance to Aeromonas hydrophila in
common carp (Cyprinus carpio) juveniles reared in a recirculating system. Dietary administration of phytoadditives
led to a higher body weight gain in the experimental groups compared to the control, also leading to a higher specific
growth rate and to a lower FCR value. Also the survival rate was improved by the dietary treatment with the
phytoadditive combination, the highest survival rate being recorded in the 1E group. A test infection was carried out
after 13 weeks of feeding, in order to determine the effect of the phytoadditive combinations on disease resistance.
So, the survival rate was improved in all the experimental groups compared to the control. Selenium content of meat
was also determined, the highest values being recorded in group 1E, both the experimental groups presenting higher
values than the control group. Dietary treatment using phytoadditive combinations had a positive influence on the
growth and consumption indices, also improving the survival rate and disease resistance
Keywords: common carp, garlic, ginger, oregano, Echinacea, Aeromonas hydrophila

1. Introduction

to treat head aches, heart diseases, intestinal

worms and even cancer [1]. Garlic has many
effects, the most notable are: hypo-lipidemic [2],
antimicrobial [3], anti-hypertensive [4], liverprotecting, insecticidal [5] and anti-fungal effects
[6].
In fish, numerous researches had been carried out
on different species regarding the effects of garlic
on growth and consumption parameters, health
status and even the possibility of a prophylactic
use of garlic after induced infections using
Aeromonas hydrophila [7,8,9,10,11].
Ginger is the rhizome of the Zingiber officinale
plant and has been used as a delicacy but also as a
medicine. The medicinal form, the Jamaica ginger,
has stimulating effects, carminative effects (being
used to treat constipation, indigestion and cramps.
Ginger also lowers cholesterolemia, and has antiinflammatory effects and thins the blood being
used in heart diseases. Recent research suggest
that ginger can be used in diabetes treatment
[12,13]. In fish, ginger has been successfully used

Phytoadditives are used for centuries or millennia

and only recent their use in animals has been taken
into account in order to improve the production
performances and/or disease prevention and
control. Their use offers an alternative solution to
antibiotics and chemically synthesized growth
promoters. The main advantage of these
phytoadditives is the fact that they are natural
substances and dont pose any threat to human or
fish health or to the environment. Researches are
still being carried put in order to determine their
mode of action, the side effects that can occur as a
result of their use and even the possibility of other
plants to be used as phytoadditives.
Garlic (Allium sativum) is a plant from the
Liliaceae family and it has bee used for millennia

* Corresponding author: Gabor Erol, 0747040538,

gogu13us@yahoo.com

Gabor E. et. al./Scientific Papers: Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 2012, 45 (1)

to control an Aeromonas hydrophila infection in

rainbow trout [14], an improvement of the growth
and consumption parameters being recorded.
Oregano is a species of the Origanum genus,
Liliaceae family. Spontaneously, grows in
temperate-warm climates from western and southwestern Eurasia and in the Mediterranean region.
Oregano has a strong anti-microbial and antioxidant activity (due to its high content of
phenolic acids and flavonoids), a tonic, antiseptic,
expectorant antifungal and sedative effect. Zheng
et al., (2009) [15] used oregano to control an
Aeromonas hydrophila in channel catfish
(Ictalurus punctatus) recording also a higher
weight gain, a better feed conversion and an
enhancement
of
the
anti-oxidant
and
immunological parameters (lysozyme, catalase
and superoxide dysmutase).
Echinacea is a plant genus, belonging to the
Asteraceae family, comprised of 9 species, only 3
being used as medicinal plants (E. angustifolia, E.
pallida and E. purpurea). Echinacea has immunostimulating effects (for the non-specific immune
system), anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effects.
Salah (2008) [16] studied the effects of Echinacea
on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) reposting
better growth parameters and a better resistance
against Pseudomonas fluorescens.

conversion ration (FCR) and the survival rate were

monitored. At the end of the experiment, a
challenge infection with Aeromonas hydrophila
was carried out to test the immuno-stimulating
effects of the phytoadditives used. The
concentration of bacteria was 600x10 6/ml (2 on
McFarland scale). After inoculation, the fish were
monitored for 10 days for clinical symptoms of
disease and to record the occurring mortalities.
Meat samples were also collected in order to
determine the Selenium content of meat (by means
of Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy). The
collected data were statistically analyzed using
ANOVA (Tukey test). Data are expressed as mean
standard error of mean. All statistical analyses
were carried out using the GraphPad Software,
(v3.05).
3. Results and discussion
The combined use of phytoadditives had a biostimulatory effect (table 1), leading to a higher
body weight gain, at the end of the experimental
period both the experimental groups had higher
final body weights, the highest value being
recorded in group 1E (62.454.39g) followed by
group 2E (.95.87g), the lowest value being
recorded in the control group (48.33.96g). The
specific growth rate was also enhanced in all the
experimental groups, the highest value being
recorded in group 1E (0.325 g/day) followed by
group 2E (0.233 g/day) and the lowest in the
control group (0.173 g/day). FCR recorded in the
experimental groups was lower than the FCR
recorded in the control group; the lowest value
was recorded in group 1E (2.04:1), followed by
group 2E (2.16:1); the control group presented the
highest FCR value (2.2:1). The results recorded
are confirmed by the results reported by Benkeblia
(2003) [17], Metwally (2009) [7], Nya and Austin
(2009) [9].
Analyzing the evolution chart of the body mass
throughout the experimental period (fig 1), a
constant evolution can be observed throughout the
experimental period, without the occurrence of
regressions of body weight. The stress due to
environment or due to undertaken operations
(weighing and treatments) was apparently
negligible, being reflected in the constant
dynamics of the body mass.

2. Materials and methods

Research has been carried out on a number of 90
common carp (Cyprinus carpio) juveniles reared
in a recirculating system. The fish (initial body
weight of 32.190.05g) have been randomly
assigned into 3 groups (a control group and 2
experimental groups) each group consisting of 30
fish. The experimental period was 93 days, from
27 July 2011 to 27 November 2011. The
administered fodder had a 38% crude protein, 7%
crude fat, 4% crude cellulose and 10% humidity
content. The phytoadditives (garlic, ginger,
oregano and Echinacea) were purchased from the
local market, dried and grounded and were
incorporated in the fodder as follows: control
group base diet without phytoadditives; group
1E base fodder supplemented with 2% garlic
and 1% ginger and group 3 base diet
supplemented wit 1% oregano and 0.5%
Echinacea. Throughout the experiment, the body
mass evolution, weight gain, growth rate, feed

Table 1. Growth and consumption indices throughout the experimental period

Gabor E. et. al./Scientific Papers: Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 2012, 45 (1)

32.19 0.05
45

L1E
Garlic+ginger
32.19 0.05
52.4

L2E
Oregano+Echinacea
32.19 0.05
45.7

45.93
48.3 3.96
16.11
0.173
2.2

58.4
62.45 4.39
30.26
0.325
2.04

51.7
53.9 5.87
21.71
0.233
2.16

Issue

Initial weight (25.07.2011)

August (25.08.2011)
September (25.09.2011)
Final weight (27.10.2011)
Body weight gain (g)
Specific growth rate (g/day)
FCR

Figure 1. Body mass evolution throughout the experimental period

Throughout the experimental period there were

no mortalities recorded (table 2) so the effects of

the phytoadditives combinations on the survival

rates could not be determined.

Table 2. Survival rates recorded throughout the experimental period

L1E
L2E
Issue
C
Garlic+ginger
Oregano+Echinacea
Initial number
30
30
30
Final number
30
30
30
Losses
0
0
0
Survival (%)
100
100
100

At the end of the experimental period, meat

samples were collected to determine the meat
Selenium content. The combined use of
phytoadditives led to very significant variations
of the meat Selenium content, group 1E having
the highest value (98.320.88 g/kg) followed
Issue
Se (g/kg)

by group 2E (85.91 0.8 g/kg), the lowest

value being recorded in the control group (72.84
0.68 g/kg). These results are due to the
variable content of Selenium of the different
phytoadditives used (garlic 0.4g/g, ginger
0.7g/100g, oregano 0.1g/g).

Table 3. Meat Selenium content of fishes from the experimental groups

L1E
L2E
C
Garlic+ginger
Oregano+Echinacea
72.84 0.68
98.32 0.88
85.91 0.8

Statistical significance of the differences recorded in the meat Selenium content

Difference of means

Gabor E. et. al./Scientific Papers: Animal Science and Biotechnologies, 2012, 45 (1)

M vs 1E
M vs 2E
1E vs 2E

-64.020
-27.400
36.620

32.195
16.514
15.681

At the end of the experimental period a

challenge infection was carried out in order to
test the immunostimulant potential of the
phytoadditives used and the possibility to use
them as prophylactic agents. The survival rate
after inoculation (table 4) was higher in both
experimental groups. Group 1E had no
mortalities recorded while group 2E had a
survival rate of 93.33%; the lowest survival rate
was recorded in the control group (83.33%) after

P<0.001 ***
P<0.001 ***
P<0.001 ***

the challenge infection with Aeromonas

hydrophila. Lower mortalities after challenge
infections were recorded by Nya and Austin
(2009) [9], Nya and Austin (2009) [14] in
rainbow trout, Aly and Mohamed (2010) [18] in
Nile tilapia and by Karthik et al. (2010) [19] in
African catfish, after challenge infections using
Aeromonas hydrophila or Pseudomonas
fluorescens.

Table 4. Survival rate in common caro juveniles after challenge with Aeromonas hydrophila
L1E
L2E
C
Garlic+ginger
Oregano+Echinacea
Initial number
30
30
30
Final number
25
30
28
Survival (%)
83.33
100
93.33
Issue

4. Conclusions

constituents
(Review).
Folia
Pharmacological Japonica 110 Suppl, 1,
p93 97.
3. Kumar. M. and J. S. Berwal (1998).
Sensitivity of food pathogens to garlic
(Allium sativum L.). J. Appl. Microbiol.,
84, p213215.
4. Suetsuna, K. (1998). Isolation and
characterization
of
angiotensin
Iconverting enzyme inhibitor dipeptides
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(1978). In vitro effect of aqueous extract
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Activities
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Tilapia
Nilotica
(Oreochromis niloticus); World Journal of
Fish and Marine Sciences 1 (1): 56-64,
2009.

The combined use of phytoadditives led to the

enhancement of the growth and consumption
parameters, body weight gain, specific growth rate
and the FCR. The survival rate was not
influenced, no losses being recorded throughout
the experimental period in any experimental
group.
The Selenium meat content varied significantly
among the experimental groups, due to the
variable content of Selenium found in the
phytoadditives used, laying the basis of a
functional food based only on plant additives.
Disease resistance was also influenced by the
combined use of phytoadditives, indicating a
immuno-stimulating effect of the additives bat
also the possibility to use them in as prophylactic
agents, to limit the use of antibiotics.
Still, more studies are needed to determine the
cost/efficiency ratio of a large-scale use of phytoadditives but also their efficiency against other
pathogens
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