Red seaweed Pyropia columbina as antioxidant supplement in feed for cultured juvenile Pacú (Piaractus mesopotamicus)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antioxidant effect of red seaweed Pyropia columbina on juvenile Pacú ( Piaractus mesopotamicus ). Two hundred and ten ( n = 210) fish were fed for 90 days with a control extruded feed (CEF) or the same feed added with P. columbina (35 g kg −1 ) (PcEF). No significant difference in final body weight, specific growth rate, condition factor, and liver somatic index was detected between dietary treatments ( p > 0.05). Fish fed with PcEF showed lower lipid peroxidation (28.2 ± 2.9 vs. 39.4 ± 3.7 mmol malondialdehyde mg −1 protein) and superoxide dismutase (23.3 ± 2.3 vs. 37.7 ± 3.0 U mg −1 protein) and reduced SOD/CAT ratio (5.5 ± 0.3 vs. 8.1 ± 0.7) in intestine than those fed with CEF ( p 0.05). PcEF showed higher hemoglobin (7.5 ± 0.4 vs. 6.6 ± 0.3 g 100 mL −1 ) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (18.4 ± 1.8 vs. 25.7 ± 2.7%) than those fed with CEF diet ( p