Effects of garlic powder on feeding attraction activity, growth and digestive enzyme activities of Japanese seabass, Lateolabrax japonicus

The study was to investigate the effects of garlic (Allium sativum) powder on feeding attraction activity, growth performance and digestive enzymes of juvenile Japanese seabass, Lateolabrax japonicus (initial weight: 29.82 +/- 0.24 g). Six concentration gradients (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 g/kg diets) were formulated for luring and feeding experiment. The results showed a clear attractive trend of garlic powder for L. japonicus. A 28-day feeding experiment indicated garlic could reduce the feed conversion ratio (FCR) (p .05). The content of the body crude lipid was significantly increased at 10-15 g/kg diet (p .05). Digestive enzyme activities including trypsin, amylase (AMS) and lipase (LPS) in the intestine were the highest at 10 g/kg diet (p .05). Overall, garlic powder provides a promising and effective method for Japanese seabass healthy culture by improving fish growth and digestive ability. The results of this research suggested the additive suitable dosage of garlic powder was about 10 g/kg diet.