Philippine researchers have unveiled the efficacy of coconut oil as a dietary supplement to enhance the growth of saline-tolerant tilapia. The project, titled “Medium Chain Fatty Acids and Mannose Polysaccharide from Coconut as Dietary Supplement to promote growth and improve health of cultured saline-tolerant strain of Oreochromis niloticus,” was funded by the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-PCAARRD).
The primary goal of the project was to address the high cost of tilapia feeds and reduce dependence on expensive, imported soybean feed oil. The findings demonstrated that coconut dietary supplements could entirely replace dietary soybean oil, enhancing growth without compromising the health and survival of saline-tolerant tilapia.
Coconut oil, rich in medium-chain fatty acids, was identified as a growth-promoting agent by significantly enhancing the production of Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF), a growth hormone inducer. With approximately 50 percent medium-chain fatty acids, coconut oil played a crucial role in improving tilapia growth.
Notably, coconut oil supplementation also positively impacted the fatty-acid composition of tilapia flesh. The project successfully decreased the presence of Omega 6 fatty acids, associated with inflammatory and metabolism-related diseases in humans, while increasing the levels of Omega 3 fatty acids, known for their health benefits.
Moreover, the research demonstrated the feasibility of replacing soybean meal with protein-enriched copra meal (PECM) in tilapia feeds, enhancing the feed value of PECM to match that of soybean meal when supplemented with coconut oil.
In addition to coconut oil, the inclusion of coconut mannan in the diet exhibited prebiotic effects, improving the gut health of tilapia. The development holds significant promise for tilapia growers, fish cage culture operators, coconut farmers, and the broader aquaculture industry, offering a cost-effective bioactive feed additive for sustainable and improved tilapia production.
