Effect of Yucca Shidigera Extract and Or Exogenous Enzymes on Nitrogenous Compounds in Nile Tilapia Aquaculture

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of Yucca shidigera and/or exogenous enzyme on nitrogenous compound in Nile tilapiafishes as well as apparent Digestibility Coefficient (%ADC) for crude protein. Apparently healthy, 800 mixed-sex Nile tilapia with same average body weights were randomly allocated into 4 groups with 2 replicates each as follow: the first group (G1) served as a non-treated control; the second group (G2) received basal diet supplemented with Yucca Shidigera Extract (YSE) 150 mg/kg; the third group (G3) received basal diet supplemented with 0.5 g/kg Exogenous Enzyme (EE); the fourth group (G4) received basal diet supplemented with a combination of YSE 150 mg/kg and 0.5 g/kg EE. Experimental fishes were put in 1 cubic meter tanks with same amount of water and experiment was terminated when ammonia level was stressful for control group. Result revealed that using of YSE reduce ammonia rapidly as soon as 24 hours with significant reduction in NH 3 and NH 4 + at 36 hours then become non-significant, at the same time YSE significantly decrease %ADC. Combined yucca with enzyme showed significant decrease in NH 3 and NH 4 + with increase in NO 2 and NO 3 , also represented non-significant increase in %ADC. From this results it was concluded that using combination of yucca and enzyme revealed better effect on ammonia level in water and results recommended to monitor nitrite level.