Effects of Optimum Vitamin E with Different levels of Vitamin C on Growth, Reproduction and Immune Response in Blue Gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus)

Abstract

The effect of optimum level of vitamin E (300 mg kg⁻¹ diet) and various levels vitamin C (50, 100, 200 and 300 mg kg⁻¹ diet) on growth, reproduction and leucocytes count were studied in blue gourami (Trichogaster trichopterus) for 120 days.  Test fish fed with the optimum vitamin E + 200 mg vitamin C kg⁻¹ diet enhanced the chosen feeding and growth parameters, reproduction and disease resisting leucocytes count (lymphocyte and monocyte) than those fed with other diets. The control fish spawned only once with less number of eggs spawn⁻¹, while other groups spawned two times with more number of eggs spawn⁻¹ during the experiment. The female blue gourami fed with the optimum vitamin E laid 450 eggs in two spawning and it significantly (P < 0.01) enhanced to 570 eggs in two spawning fish fed with the optimum vitamin E and 200 mg vitamin C kg⁻¹ diet respectively. However, the fish treated with other combinations laid less number of eggs than the above combinations. Lymphocyte and monocyte counts revealed that the fish fed with combination of optimum vitamin E and vitamin C diet produced more or less equal effects. The experiment revealed that vitamin C and vitamin E are the growth and reproduction promoting factors respectively and they interact with one another when these two nutrients are available simultaneously.