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Title: EFFECTS OF BAMBERMYCINS AND VIRGINIAMYCIN ON PERFORMANCE AND BODY COMPOSITION OF JUVENILE CHANNEL CATFISH, ICTALURUS PUNCTATUS

Author
item Lim, Chhorn
item PHELPS, R - AUBURN UNIVERSITY
item Klesius, Phillip

Submitted to: American Fisheries Society Transaction
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2002
Publication Date: 5/1/2003
Citation: Lim, C.E., Phelps, R., Klesius, P.H. 2003. Effects of bambermycins and virginiamycin on performance and body composition of juvenile channel catfish, ictalurus punctatus. American Fisheries Society, Symposium 38, Bethesda, Maryland. pp. 247-251.

Interpretive Summary: Numerous studies on certain domestic animals have indicated that some antibiotics such as bambermycins and virginiamycin, when administered orally at subtherapeutic concentrations, improve growth and feed utilization efficiency of poultry and swine. The efficacy of these antibiotics on the performance of channel catfish is not known. Thus, this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of dietary levels of bambermycins (o, 1, 2, 4 and 8mg/kg) and virginiamycin (0, 3, 6, 12 and 24mg/kg) on the performance of channel catfish. Each diet was fed to juvenile channel catfish (average of about 8g) in three replicate aquaria for ten weeks. Growth rate, feed consumption, feed efficiency and survival did not statistically differ among fish fed diets containing various concentrations of either bambermycins or virginiamycin. Whole body proximate composition (moisture, crude protein, crude fat and ash) was likewise not affected by dietary treatment. This study indicates that bambermycins and virginiamycin, at concentrations used, had no effect on the growth performance, feed utilization efficiency and body composition of channel catfish.

Technical Abstract: A feeding study was conducted to examine the effects of graded levels of two antibiotics, bambermycins (flavomycin) and virginiamycin (staphylomycin) on the growth performance, feed utilization efficiency and body composition of channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus. A commercial diet containing approximately 40% crude protein and 10% crude fat was used as the basal diet. The basal diet was supplemented with 0 (control), 1, 2, 4 and 8mg of bambermycins/kg of diet or 3, 6, 12 and 24mg of virginiamycin/kg of diet. Each diet was fed to juvenile channel catfish (average weight of 7.98+/- 0.02g) in triplicate flow-through aquariums twice daily to apparent satiation for ten weeks. Fish that were fed diets containing various concentrations of either bambermycins or virginiamycin had similar weight gain, dry matter feed intake, feed conversion ratio and percent survival relative to the group fed the control diet. Whole body percentages of moisture, crude protein, crude fat and ash were unaffected (P> 0.05) by supplementation of bambermycins or virginiamycin. Results of this study indicate that bambermycins or virginiamycin, at concentrations used, had no effect on the growth performance, feed utilization efficiency and body composition of juvenile channel catfish. It is recommended, however, that more studies to evaluate the effects of these antibiotics at higher concentrations on the performance of channel catfish should be conducted.