The addition of pumpkin seed oil to common carp diets affects several physiological and productive characteristics

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of adding different levels of pumpkin seed oil (PSO) (Cucurbita pepo L.) on specific growth and immune blood parameters in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.). Six oil concentrations were tested, representing six treatments: PSO at 0% (control), 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, and 3%. All treatments were incorporated into a diet containing 29.14% protein. A total of 147 fish were divided into 21 cages, with three replicates per treatment, averaging 32±0.72 g in weight. The fish were fed at 3% of biomass per day, split into two meals; rations were adjusted biweekly according to measured biomass for 82 days. The 2% PSO treatment showed significantly better results (P<0.05) across all growth parameters studied, including Final Weight (FW), Weight Gain (WG), Daily Growth Rate (DGR), Relative Growth Rate (RGR), Specific Growth Rate (SGR), Food Intake (FI), Metabolic Growth Rate (MGR), Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), Feed Conversion Efficiency (FCE), and Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER). Followed by the PSO 1.5% treatment. In blood parameters, PSO 2% also performed best in all measured aspects—Red Blood Cells (RBCs), Hemoglobin (Hp), Packed Cell Volume (PCV), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC)—with 1.5% PSO closely behind. In immunological parameters, 2% PSO increased the value of WBCs, TPS, and IgM, with 1.5% PSO just behind. Blood performance, which assesses overall blood health as a single measure, showed the highest performance in the 2% PSO treatment, significantly surpassing other treatments (P<0.05). Overall, the results indicated that adding different levels of PSO to carp diets has positive effects at a rate not exceeding 2%.