Improving Yellow Mealworm (Tenebrio molitor) Utilization with Sodium Butyrate in Nile Tilapia Diets: Effects on Growth Performance, Intestinal Histology, Antioxidative Response, and Blood Biomarkers

Table 2

Growth performance of Nile tilapia fed test diets for 60 days.

	IW (g)	FW (g)	WG (%)	SGR	FI	FCR	PER	Survival (%)
Fish meal	6.03	21.95^b	263.79^b	2.15^b	22.47	1.41^b	2.33^a	98.33
Fish meal + SB	6.07	23.07^a	280.44^a	2.23^a	23.45	1.39^b	2.38^a	98.33
T. molitor	6.02	20.63^b	242.79^b	2.05^b	22.53	1.54^a	2.12^b	96.67
T. molitor + SB	6.05	22.17^ab	266.58^ab	2.16^b	21.57	1.34^b	2.44^a	96.67
Pooled SE	0.02	0.30	5.21	0.04	0.28	0.03	0.05	0.97
Main effect
Protein source
Fish meal	6.05	22.51	272.12	2.19	22.96	1.40	2.35	98.33
T. molitor	6.03	21.40	254.68	2.11	22.05	1.44	2.28	96.67
Sodium butyrate (SB)
─SB	6.03	21.29	253.29	2.10	22.50	1.48	2.23	97.50
+SB	6.06	22.62	273.51	2.20	22.51	1.36	2.41	97.50
Two-way ANOVA (P-value)
Protein source	0.799	0.013	0.052	0.042	0.078	0.328	0.31	0.471
SB	0.554	0.005	0.029	0.027	0.986	0.018	0.022	1
Protein source × SB	1	0.013	0.012	0.003	0.062	0.044	0.017	1

Values are an average of three replicates. Different letters indicate significant differences () between dietary protein sources (fish meal or T. molitor meal) and sodium butyrate by Tukey’s test when significant interactions are seen at (). However, in case of nonsignificant interactions at () between the main effects between dietary protein sources (fish meal or T. molitor meal) or sodium butyrate, respectively by t-test at (). IW: initial weight, FW: final weight, WG: weight gain, SGR: specific growth rate, FCR: feed conversion ratio, PER: protein efficiency ratio.