Effect of dietary vitamin E on growth and survival rate of the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Abstract

The experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary vitamin E on the
growth and survival rate of freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) for a period of 10
weeks. PL of initial weight of 0.18±0.03g were released at stocking density of 265/m3. Four
different treatments (T1, T2, T3 and T4) having different amount of vitamin E such as 1000 mg
vitamin E/kg feed (T2), 2000 mg vitamin E/kg feed (T3), and 3000 mg vitamin E/kg feed (T4)
where 0 mg vitamin E/kg feed (T1) was considered as control. Final weight (g), weight gain (g),
specific growth rate (%/day) and protein efficiency ratio (PER) varied from 1.0 ± 0.02 to 1.20
±0.01, 0.86±0.02 to 1.02±0.01, 476.38±11.81 to 564.21±5.54, 2.50±0.03 to 2.70±0.01
and 1.75±0.15 to 1.86±0.23, respectively. The highest survival rate (95.53 ± 1.03) was found
in T4 and lowest was (88.87±1.98) in T?. Best growth performance and survival rate was found
in T4 followed by T3, T2 and T1. The study suggests that the best growth performance and
survival rate of prawn can be obtained from supplementation of 3000 mg vitamin E/kg feed
containing diet.