Impact of Phytogenic Feed Additives on Growth Performance, Antioxidant Defense, and Serum Biochemical Indices in Cirrhinus mrigala

This study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation with Moringa oleifera, Allium sativum, Zingiber officinale, and Curcuma longa powders (each at 2% inclusion) on Cirrhinus mrigala over a 60-day feeding trial on growth, antioxidant status, and serum biochemistry. A total of 270 juvenile fish (15.8 ± 0.12 g) were distributed into five groups (control and four treatments) in triplicate. Growth performance, antioxidant enzyme activities (Superoxide dismutase; SOD, Catalase; CAT, and Malondialdehyde; MDA), serum biochemical parameters (Total protein, albumin, globulin), and hepatic enzyme activities (Alanine aminotransferase; ALT, and Aspartate aminotransferase; AST) were measured. Turmeric (T4) and garlic (T2) significantly improved growth performance, with T4 exhibiting the highest weight gain and best feed conversion ratio. Both T4 and T2 markedly increased SOD and CAT activities while reducing MDA levels. Serum analysis revealed improved hepatic health. These results demonstrate the potential of turmeric and garlic as sustainable phytogenic additives for improving productivity, oxidative resilience, and health in C. mrigala aquaculture, providing viable alternatives to synthetic growth promoters.