Tilapia are commonly used in aquaculture but are sensitive to cold, limiting their culture in colder regions. Thus, the purpose of this investigation was to examine how lecithin and/or Arabic gum could help Nile tilapia cope with cold stress during the winter season. In a 3×3 factorial feeding study, tilapia fingerlings with an average initial weight of 7.56 ±0.10 g were given nine different diets (crude protein: 305 g kg 1; gross energy: 19.47 MJ kg 1) for 60 days during the winter. The diet formulations included three levels of Arabic gum (0 g, 2 g, and 4 g kg 1), with each level receiving three different dosages of lecithin (0 g, 5 g, and 10 g kg 1). After the trial, tilapia fed the food enriched with 4 g kg 1 Arabic gum and 10 g kg 1 lecithin showed the highest specific growth rate, fish survival, weight gain, and the lowest feed conversion ratio. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and cholesterol levels were highest in fish given the control diet. The groups fed diets with 10 g kg 1 lecithin and 4 g kg 1 Arabic gum showed higher levels of triglycerides and HDL-C. Significant decreases in alanine aminotransferase, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, and cortisol activities were also observed (P |
