Características morfológicas do epitélio intestinal e desempenho de Tilápia-do-Nilo, Oreochromis niloticus, suplementada com mananoligossacarídeo (MOS)

Abstract

The present study has as an objective to analyze the effect of using crescent levels of prebiotic mananoligosaccharides (MOS) in Nile tilapia juveniles, according to the parameters of performance and intestinal morphology. The study was done at Salto Caxias hydroelectric plant lake, Jacutinga river, located in Boa Vista da Aparecida city, state of Paraná, experimental area of UNIOESTE – Universidade Estadual do Oeste do Paraná. An amount of 20 Nile tilapia juveniles were used, with 12,62 g initial weight, in each cage, being 16 0,25-cubic-meter cages. The cages were distributed in 4-cubic-meter tanks (four cages in each tank) generating a randomized lineation, with four species of treatments, 0,0; 0,2; 0,4 and 0,8% of MOS inclusion in diet and four repetitions. The feeding process happened four times a day, until apparent satiety, for 60 days. After 30 and 60 days, biometry was done to calculate performance levels and to analyze intestinal histology. The parameters of water quality were kept within reference values for the species. The consumption of ration during the experiment days was higher (P<0,050) for fish supplemented with 0,4% when compared to the control group. After 30 days of the onset, fish fed with 0,4% of MOS in their diet presented higher (P<0,05) intestinal villi and, after 60 days, fish fed with control diet presented higher (P<0,05) intestinal villi. However, the parameters of performance were not significantly affected by the addition of MOS to the diet. In the present study, strategic use of prebiotics during the production cycle brings up promising perspectives to modulate morphological features of the intestine, although it did not influence the growth of Nile tilapia juveniles.