Abstract
BACKGROUND: Fish farming is one of the most productive economies in the world. One of the essential goals in fish production is to minimize processing costs while maintaining and increasing the vital functions, weight and immunity of fish. OBJECTIVE: We conducted this study to explore nanoselenium (Nano-Se) particles in various feeding schemes. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Nano-Se particles incorporated in the basal diet at (0.5 mg/kg diet), and the fish was divided into six groups after adaptation as the follows: The first group was feed daily with a diet containing Nano-Se (0.5 mg/kg diet); the second group was exposed to a feeding programme in which it has day feeding followed by day of starvation with a diet containing Nano-Se (0.5 mg/kg diet); the third group was day feeding followed by 2 days of starvation; the fourth group served as a negative control group in which this group was continuous feeding with a basal diet without Nano-Se; the fifth group was day feeding with the basal diet followed by a day of starvation; and the sixth group was day feeding with basal diet followed by 2 days of starvation. RESULT: Our result revealed that Group 2 showed significant improvement in haematological parameters, red blood cells and haemoglobin with a substantial increase in total protein (p < 0.05) as well as lysosomal and phagocytic activity with considerable upregulation of growth hormone and insulin growth factor 1 in addition to markedly increase in the pro-inflammatory cytokines. Finally, this study offers the first-time dietary regime with Nano-Se supplementation that saves the feeding cost and increases fish welfare and growth.