Role of some commercial aqueous additives in growth, blood chemistry, intestinal enzymes, and immune response of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) reared under a zero-water exchange system

Hamed H. E. Saleh; Basem S. Abdelaty; Mohamed A. Elokaby; Hala S. Khalil; Nehal M. N. Elkhouly; Mohamed M. A. Hebalah; Mohamed M. I. Kord; Ahmed M. H. Kotit; Mohamed F. Abdel-Aziz

doi:10.2478/aoas-2027-0005

Role of some commercial aqueous additives in growth, blood chemistry, intestinal enzymes, and immune response of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) reared under a zero-water exchange system

Volume 27 (2027): Issue 1 (January 2027)

By: Hamed H. E. Saleh, Basem S. Abdelaty, Mohamed A. Elokaby, Hala S. Khalil, Nehal M. N. Elkhouly, Mohamed M. A. Hebalah, Mohamed M. I. Kord, Ahmed M. H. Kotit and Mohamed F. Abdel-Aziz

Open Access

|Oct 2026

Figures & Tables

Table 1

Effect of watery additives of pre/probiotics on water quality parameters of Nile tilapia reared under zero-water exchange for 84 days

Items	Groups					P-value
Items	CA	CB	PRO	YUC	EMs	P-value
Temperature, °C	27.75 ± 0.25	27.25 ± 0.55	27.65 ± 0.15	27.65 ± 0.35	27.80 ± 0.20	0.785
pH	8.17 ± 0.03	8.14 ± 0.02	8.16 ± 0.05	8.01 ± 0.12	8.14 ± 0.04	0.454
Dissolved oxygen, mg/L	6.80 ± 0.20	7.00 ± 0.20	7.00 ± 0.10	6.85 ± 0.35	6.90 ± 0.10	0.939
Total ammonia, mg/L	0.83 ± 0.06^a	0.59 ± 0.01^b	0.55 ± 0.02^b	0.48 ± 0.04^b	0.48 ± 0.05^b	0.007
Unionized ammonia, mg/L*	0.070 ± 0.001^a	0.050 ± 0.002^b	0.048 ± 0.001^b	0.041 ± 0.003^c	0.040 ± 0.001^c	0.001
Nitrite, mg/L	1.11 ± 0.08^a	0.83 ± 0.02^ab	0.72 ± 0.01^ab	0.65 ± 0.13^bc	0.42 ± 0.07^c	0.018
TSS, mg/L	247.00 ± 18^a	136.00 ± 4^c	166.00 ± 26^bc	191.50 ± 23.50^abc	209.50 ± 14.50^ab	0.054

Significant differences were determined at P ≤ 0.05 for means (± SE) in the same row with different superscript letters (a, b, c).

Control A (CA), fish were reared under unchanged water; Control B (CB), water exchange rate of 50% of tank volume weekly.

*Calculated according to Emerson et al. (1975).

Table 2

Effect of watery additives of pre/probiotics on growth and feeding utilization of Nile tilapia reared under zero-water exchange for 84 days

Items	Groups					P-value
Items	CA	CB	PRO	YUC	EMs	P-value
Initial weight, g/fish	20.96 ± 1.26	21.00 ± 1.32	20.77 ± 0.69	21.06 ± 1.16	21.06 ± 1.26	1.000
Final weight, g/fish	127.54 ± 0.87^d	145.01 ± 2.54^c	153.74 ± 2.98^bc	161.55 ± 0.93^ab	171.78 ± 4.81^a	0.001
Weight gain, g/fish	106.58 ± 0.39^e	124.01 ± 1.22^d	132.98 ± 2.29^c	140.49 ± 0.23^b	150.72 ± 3.55^a	0.000
Daily weight gain, g/fish/day	1.27 ± 0.01^e	1.48 ± 0.02^d	1.59 ± 0.03^c	1.68 ± 0.01^b	1.79 ± 0.05^a	0.000
SGR, %/day	2.16 ± 0.07^c	2.31 ± 0.06^bc	2.38 ± 0.01^ab	2.43 ± 0.06^ab	2.50 ± 0.04^a	0.028
Feed intake, g feed/fish	138.56 ± 1.57^c	157.51 ± 2.79^b	167.57 ± 4.22^ab	175.62 ± 1.69^a	181.66 ± 6.53^a	0.003
FCR, g feed/g gain	1.30 ± 0.01^a	1.27 ± 0.01^ab	1.26 ± 0.01^ab	1.25 ± 0.01^b	1.21 ± 0.02^c	0.015
Survival rate, %	91.67 ± 1.66^b	95.00 ± 1.67^ab	95.00 ± 1.67^ab	98.34 ± 1.67^a	98.34 ± 1.66^a	0.054

Significant differences were determined at P ≤ 0.05 for means (± SE) in the same row with different superscript letters (a, b, c).

Table 3

Effect of watery additives of pre/probiotics on hemato-biochemical indicators of Nile tilapia reared under zero-water exchange for 84 days

Items	Groups					P-value
Items	CA	CB	PRO	YUC	EMs	P-value
RBCs (×10⁶/mm³)	1.43 ± 0.02^c	1.59 ± 0.03^b	1.76 ± 0.01^a	1.81 ± 0.02^a	1.81 ± 0.02^a	0.000
Hb (g/dl)	7.45 ± 0.07^d	9.65 ± 0.21^c	9.93 ± 0.04^bc	10.67 ± 0.25^ab	11.28 ± 0.39^a	0.001
Hct (%)	18.85 ± 0.95^b	24.80 ± 1.01^a	25.92 ± 0.36^a	26.52 ± 0.54^a	26.28 ± 0.87^a	0.004
WBCs (×10³/mm³)	43.89 ± 0.68^c	54.91 ± 0.53^b	56.63 ± 0.76^b	68.76 ± 0.48^a	68.86 ± 1.59^a	0.000
Glucose (mg/dl)	130.00 ± 5.00	127.50 ± 2.50	123.00 ± 3.00	126.50 ± 1.50	123.00 ± 2.00	0.493
AST (U/L)	38.71 ± 0.95^a	34.47 ± 0.78^b	32.73 ± 0.54^bc	30.89 ± 1.01^cd	28.33 ± 0.49^d	0.003
ALT (U/L)	34.09 ± 0.48	35.29 ± 0.38	36.40 ± 0.58	36.44 ± 0.86	36.67 ± 1.84	0.409
Uric acid (mg/dl)	4.41 ± 0.14^a	3.37 ± 0.12^b	3.05 ± 0.16^b	2.29 ± 0.12^c	2.21 ± 0.08^c	0.000
Urea (mg/dl)	11.89 ± 1.37^a	9.61 ± 0.75^a	6.27 ± 0.68^b	5.58 ± 0.24^b	5.21 ± 0.09^b	0.006
Creatinine (mg/dl)	0.72 ± 0.02^a	0.64 ± 0.04^ab	0.55 ± 0.03^bc	0.51 ± 0.02^c	0.45 ± 0.04^c	0.006

Significant differences were determined at P ≤ 0.05 for means (±SE) in the same row with different superscript letters (a, b, c).

RBCs: red blood cells; Hb: hemoglobin; Hct: hematocrit; WBCs: white blood cells; AST: aspartate aminotransferase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase.

Table 4

Effect of watery additives of blood total protein and immunity indicators of Nile tilapia reared under zero-water exchange for 84 days

Items	Groups					P-value
Items	CA	CB	PRO	YUC	EMs	P-value
Total protein (g/dl)	4.16 ± 0.04^d	5.62 ± 0.19^c	6.69 ± 0.09^b	6.68 ± 0.07^b	7.28 ± 0.03^a	0.000
Albumin (g/dl)	2.39 ± 0.03^d	3.21 ± 0.05^c	3.37 ± 0.02^b	3.39 ± 0.03^ab	3.49 ± 0.02^a	0.000
Globulin (g/dl)	1.77 ± 0.02^d	2.41 ± 0.15^c	3.32 ± 0.07^b	3.29 ± 0.05^b	3.79 ± 0.02^a	0.000
Serum IgM (µg/ml)	4.02 ± 0.14^c	5.48 ± 0.36^bc	6.62 ± 0.37^ab	6.73 ± 0.55^ab	7.15 ± 0.58^a	0.018
Lysozyme activity (U/ml)	11.04 ± 0.19^c	12.91 ± 0.56^b	14.03 ± 0.09^ab	14.87 ± 0.34^a	15.03 ± 0.32^a	0.002
Phagocytic activity (%)	22.13 ± 1.31^c	26.47 ± 0.74^b	28.69 ± 0.56^ab	29.01 ± 0.55^ab	29.71 ± 0.84^a	0.007
Phagocytic index (%)*	1.12 ± 0.01^d	1.53 ± 0.02^c	1.60 ± 0.02^b	1.63 ± 0.01^b	1.79 ± 0.02^a	0.000

Significant differences were determined at P ≤ 0.05 for means (±SE) in the same row with different superscript letters (a, b, c).

*Phagocytic % = 100 × [Number of engulfing cells/Total number of phagocytic cells].

Table 5

Effect of watery additives of blood gases of Nile tilapia reared under zero-water exchange for 84 days

Items	Groups					P-value
Items	CA	CB	PRO	YUC	EMs	P-value
Ammonia, µg/dl	216.76 ± 1.81^a	201.81 ± 3.62^ab	194.64 ± 5.01^bc	180.52 ± 6.81^c	158.38 ± 3.41^d	0.002
pH	7.17 ± 0.01^a	7.14 ± 0.01^ab	7.13 ± 0.01^b	7.11 ± 0.01^bc	7.10 ± 0.01^c	0.017
pCO₂, mmHg	30.18 ± 0.82^a	27.39 ± 0.97^ab	25.03 ± 0.65^bc	24.59 ± 0.76^bc	23.77 ± 0.62^c	0.010
pO₂, mmHg	63.16 ± 2.18^b	71.92 ± 2.59^ab	72.69 ± 3.14^ab	73.34 ± 3.11^a	78.71 ± 1.19^a	0.054
sO₂,%	79.38 ± 1.13^c	86.42 ± 1.06^b	89.38 ± 1.10^ab	90.16 ± 1.31^ab	91.42 ± 1.16^a	0.004
HCO₃ mmol/L	10.77 ± 0.22	10.13 ± 0.09	9.99 ± 0.24	9.94 ± 0.28	9.97 ± 0.28	0.195

Significant differences were determined at P ≤ 0.05 for means (± SE) in the same row with different superscript letters (a, b, c).

Note: ammonia – NH₃; pH – blood pH; pCO₂ – partial pressure of carbon dioxide; pO₂ – partial pressure of oxygen; sO₂ – oxygen saturation; HCO₃ – concentration of bicarbonate ions.

(A, B, C, and D) Effect of watery additives on antioxidant enzymes of Nile tilapia reared under zero-water exchange for 84 days. Significant differences were determined at P ≤ 0.05 for means (± SE) in bar chart with different superscript letters (a, b, c).

(A, B, and C). Effect of watery additives on intestinal digestive enzymes of Nile tilapia reared under zero-water exchange for 84 days. Significant differences were determined at P ≤ 0.05 for means (± SE) in bar chart with different superscript letters (a, b, c.).

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2027-0005 | Journal eISSN: 2300-8733 (formerly 1642-3402) | Journal ISSN: 1642-3402

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Language: English

Page range: 65 - 82

Submitted on: Jan 15, 2026

Accepted on: Jun 11, 2026

Published on: Oct 14, 2026

Published by: National Research Institute of Animal Production

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Publication frequency: 4 issues per year

Keywords:

Nile tilapia,

Water shortages,

EMs,

Probiotics and prebiotics,

Sustainable aquaculture

Related subjects:

Medicine,

Veterinary medicine

© 2026 Hamed H. E. Saleh, Basem S. Abdelaty, Mohamed A. Elokaby, Hala S. Khalil, Nehal M. N. Elkhouly, Mohamed M. A. Hebalah, Mohamed M. I. Kord, Ahmed M. H. Kotit, Mohamed F. Abdel-Aziz, published by National Research Institute of Animal Production
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Volume 27 (2027): Issue 1 (January 2027)

Role of some commercial aqueous additives in growth, blood chemistry, intestinal enzymes, and immune response of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) reared under a zero-water exchange system

Figures & Tables

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3

Table 4

Table 5

Figure 1

Figure 2

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