Boosting Nile Tilapia Health: The Power of Ixora coccinea & Organic Acids on Blood and Biochemical Responses

Explore how Ixora coccinea and organic acid supplements impact the hematological and biochemical health of Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus).

Fish farming isn’t just about throwing feed into a pond and hoping for the best; it’s a delicate balancing act of nutrition, water quality, and disease management. For anyone cultivating Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), keeping mortality rates low and growth rates high is a constant challenge. Traditional antibiotics used to be the go-to solution for boosting fish immunity, but with growing concerns over antibiotic resistance, the aquaculture industry is urgently searching for natural, sustainable alternatives.

​Enter Ixora coccinea (commonly known as jungle geranium) and organic acids.

​While Ixora coccinea is widely admired as a vibrant ornamental plant, its medicinal properties hold untapped potential for animal nutrition. When combined with organic acids—known for improving gut health and nutrient absorption, this powerful duo could change how we approach fish wellness. But how exactly do these supplements impact the internal health of the fish?

​In this two-part deep dive, we are breaking down the core foundations of our recent research. Chapter One establishes the critical problem facing modern Tilapia farming and the objectives of this study, while Chapter Two reviews the existing literature on plant-based additives. Together, these sections look past surface-level growth and examine the true indicators of fish health: the hematological (blood) and biochemical responses that prove whether a dietary supplement genuinely works.

Boosting Nile Tilapia Health: The Power of Ixora coccinea & Organic Acids on Blood and Biochemical Responses

Here is part of the research project we have written from chapter 1-5. But we are publishing just chapter one and some parts of chapter 2. To get fool chapters. Kindly contact Us. Here are the chapters

CHAPTER ONE

• INTRODUCTION

Aquaculture is a global endeavour that is fast growing and helping the economy. Fish are cultured for food and turnover to support the rising human population, as well as restocking lakes, rivers, and streams to alleviate shortages caused by overfishing of capture fisheries, and for sport fishing (FAO, 2000)

The world’s population is increasing at an exponential rate, necessitating a simultaneous growth in food production. By 2050, the world’s population is predicted to increase from 7.3 billion to more than 9 billion people (UN Press Release, 2019). The world’s expanding desire for nutritious and healthy food has boosted demand for fisheries products from both inland and marine sources, which are already overburdened. Aquaculture output, on the other hand, has expanded in recent years in order to mitigate the effect of stagnation in ocean fisheries.

Aquaculture’s rapid expansion has resulted in a rise of bacterial, viral, fungal, and parasitic diseases, as well as some environmental interactions. Infectious pathogens, health concerns, and economic losses caused by these pathogens are among the most serious issues confronting fish farming businesses. Antibiotics, hormones, chemotherapeutics, and vitamins have been used in aquaculture for many years to avoid or lessen their effects (Citarasu 2010). However, due to bacterial resistance and/ or risk to human health, the use of antibiotics as a feed additive has been prohibited in the European Union since 2006. The use of plant -based material as a feed ingredient has been a good alternative for managing bacterial infections, boosting growth performance, and lowering mortality by safeguarding the health of the gastrointestinal microbiota since this prohibition was enacted (Abdel -Tawwab et al., 2010).

With an annual growth rate of roughly 11.5 percent, tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) culture is widely practiced in many tropical and subtropical regions of the world. It is the third largest group of farmed finfish, behind carp and salmonids. Much of the recent rapid increase in aquaculture productivity has come from expanding existing systems. Increased stocking densities can make fish more vulnerable to stress and disease, which can negatively impact or cause stock loss (Schreck, 1996).

Medicinal plants have long been used as disease cures because they contain medicinal components (Adegoke et al., 2012). Antioxidant, antibacterial, anticarcinogenic, analgesic, insecticidal, antiparasitic, anti-coccidial, appetite enhancer, stimulator of bile production, and digestive enzyme activity are just some of the qualities of this medicinal plant (Denev, 2008)

The use of medicinal herbs in aquaculture is a relatively recent field of study that has shown promising outcomes. These plants can be used alone or with organic acid as a supplement

The evergreen shrub Ixora coccinea Linn. (Rubiaceae), often known as jungle of geranium or red ixora, is distributed throughout India. The stem, bloom, and leaves are used to treat a variety of ailments (NISCIR 1992). The primary chemicals present in ixora coccinea, according to phytochemical research, are lupeol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acids, sitosterol, and proanthocyanidic acid (Ayyanar et al,2009). Anushal et al. (2019) found that feeding fish a diet containing Ixora coccinea reduces Aeromonas load on the host and improves serum albumin, globulin, and protein levels. The diet also considerably increased RBC and haemoglobin levels.

Organic acids (OA) are organic molecules containing one or more carboxyl groups that are created by bacterial fermentation in a variety of metabolic routes and circumstances (Ng 2017). While the use of OA as feed additives has a long history of improving performance and health in terrestrial livestock, particularly pigs and poultry (Samanta et al.,2010), the use of these substances as growth promoters in aqua feed is new and moderate due to limited research, but it is expected to grow significantly in the coming years (Ng 2017). As functional additives in aquafeed, OA has been shown to: (1) lower feed pH, improving feed hygiene, and (2) modify gut intestine pH and enzyme activity, improving nutrient digestion and feed utilization (Pandey et al.,2008), (3) regulate enteric colonization of opportunistic microorganisms to alter beneficial gut microbiota, and (4) enhance animal welfare (Elala et al.,2015)

Read also: AgriTech Undergraduate Scholarship Programme for Nigerian Students: Complete Guide to Full Funding Opportunities

1.2 JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY

In recent years, medicinal plants have increasingly been adopted by aquaculture sector. In the study of Adebayo et al. (2020) revealed that lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) leaf meal significantly improved the blood profile of the fish, which was confirmed in the challenge test.

These supplements not only offer an alternative to antibiotics but have also been linked to enhanced haematological and biochemical performance. However, several studies have been done on different plants products in different fish species such as Oregano in Zebra fish (Rashidian et al.2021), Ixora coccinea in ornamental Gold fish (Anushal et al., 2019).

Nevertheless, little or no empirical data has been recorded on the use of ixora coccinea supplemented with organic acid on Oreochromis niloticus.

Hence, the aim of this study is to assess if Ixora coccinea supplemented with organic acid is promising to enhance the haematological and biochemical responses of Nile tilapia.

1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1.3.1  General Objectives

To determine whether ixora coccinea supplemented with organic acid would improve the blood profile and immuno-biochemical response to Nile tilapia

1.3.2  Specific Objectives

1. To evaluate the effect of ixora-organic acid blend on the blood profile of Nile Tilapia
2. To assess the immuno-biochemical response of Nile Tilapia fed ixora-organic acid blen

 CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1  IXORA COCCINEA

Herbal medicine is gaining popularity as a therapeutic alternative to existing synthetic medications for a variety of conditions, owing to lower costs and fewer side effects. Medicinal plants have yielded a variety of chemical substances. More than 70% of the population of the developing world today relies on the traditional medicinal system, often known as alternative medicine (Azazieh et al., 2010). Medicinal herbs are becoming increasingly important as raw materials for major medications in modern medicine.

The name “Ixora” is a Portuguese variant of Iswari, the name of the Goddess Parvati to whom the blossoms of Ixora coccinea are presented, and “coccinea” is a Latin term that means “scarlet colored” (Patil DA 2007 ). It produces multiple flowers in dense, senssile corymbiform cymes that are bright scarlet in color. Ixora coccinea is an Indian plant that is predominantly found in the Konkan region. It is grown as an ornamental plant throughout India (Varier VPS 2010).

It is commonly known as “Jungle of Geranium”, “Flame of Woods”, or “Red Ixora” and is an evergreen shrub found throughout India. Depending on the medical condition, the flowers, leaves, roots, and the stem are used to treat various ailments in the Indian traditional system of medicine, the Ayurveda, and also in various folk medicines.

Ixora coccinea can be seen growing in abundance in dry areas with somewhat acidic soil. The plants are heavily branched and reach a height of three meters in most cases. The stems are grayish in color and have a diameter of 3 to 4 cm at the base. The leaves are oblong in shape and dark green in color. Each individual flower is tubular with four or five calyx lobes, and the inflorescences are terminal, dense corymbs with around 15 to 50 blooms (Whistler et al., 2000) Flowers that are crimson or red-orange in hue are produced by wild plant varieties. Plants with white, yellow, salmon, or pink flowers, on the other hand, are common and are now cultivated and sold in horticultural stores. These plants are also available in dwarf versions, which are often utilized in landscaping and as indoor plants. Fruits are meaty, globose berries that are green when unripe and dark blood crimson or purplish-black when fully ripe. When compared to the size of the fruit, the fruits contain two seeds that are correspondingly large. (Liogie, 1997).

The fruit is a berry with 1-2 seeds within. Miniature varieties have little leaves and a bushy growth habit. When plucked and placed in a vase with water, Ixora flowers endure for a long time, forming a beautiful home arrangement. The Ixora flower has long been connected with increased sexuality and rekindled romance (Reference). The plant includes significant phytochemicals such as lupeol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid, sitosterol, rutin, lecocyanadin, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, kaempferol glycosides, and quercetin (Reference??).

2.1.1  Traditional Uses of Ixora 

    Traditionally, Ixora is found to be useful for many ailments like hepatic disorder, cancer, microbial infection, antioxidant, pain, inflammation, etc. and has been documented for various medicinal properties (Reference???).

Ixora coccinea has long been used to cure a variety of diseases in Ayurveda and other folk medicine systems. Luecorrhoea, dysentery, hypertension, menstrual irregularities, sprains, bronchitis fever, sores, chronic ulcers, scabies, and skin disorders, dysmenorrhoea, haemoptysis, and skin problems are all treated with the flowers of Ixora in  Ayurvedic medicine ( Sankaranarayanan et al., 2010). The flower is also used to cure catarrhal bronchitis and dysenteryNISCIR 2002).

It has been used for hepatoprotective, chemoprotective, antibacterial, anti-oxidant, antinociceptive, anti–mitotic, and anti-inflammatory purposes for centuries. The root decoctions were used to treat nausea, hiccups, and anorexia. In Indo-China, the finely ground roots are thought to help heal wounds and chronic ulcers.

2.1.2  The Chemical Constituent of Ixora Coccinea

Sub-heading????????

Fifty-four components have been identified in the essential oil of Ixora coccinea flower, representing 99.97% of the total components detected. The oil is composed mainly of triterpenes 62.60%, monoterpenes 31.73%, sesquiterpenes 3.35% and an ester 2.29%. The major constituents of triterpenes were ursolic acid (27.34%), oleanolic (20.16%) and lupeol (15.10%). Ixora coccinea flower is of ursolic acid chemotype. Geranyl Acetate (8.74%) is the major monoterpenes, followed by Linalyl acetate (6.79%), Neryl acetate (6.49%), Terpineol acetate (4.91%), and Borneol acetate (4.77%); Ethyl cinnamate (2.29%) an ester while the sesquiterpenes are Cyperene (2.72%) and α–Copaene (0.63%) 10.(Reference??????)

A new triterpene, ixorene with dammarane skeleton was isolated from the leaves of I. coccinea, along with the three known constituents β-sitosterol, lupeol and D-mannitol (Reference????). The structure was elucidated on the basis of extensive 1D and 2DNMR studies and mass spectrometry as 17βdammara-12, 20-diene-3β-ol (Ambreen Ikram et al., 2013). The air-dried flowers of I. coccinea afforded two new cycloartenol esters, lupeol fatty ester, lupeol, ursolic acid, oleanolic acid and sitosterol. The structures were elucidated by extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy and MS (Floren Tiua et al., 2004).

The anticancer action of I. coccinea (Rubiaceae) leaves was discovered to be mostly due to the known alkaloid camptothecin. RP-HPLC analysis revealed the presence of camptothecin. The average camptothecin content in mature and young leaves was 2.8 percent, paving the way for new discoveries (Saravananet al., 2011). Six phytoconstituents were isolated from the roots, including 9, 12octadecadienoic acid, octyl phthalate, amyrin, kaempferol-7-oglucoside, kaempferitrin, and quercitrin (Joshiet al., 2013).

2.1.3  Taxonomic Hierarchy of Ixora Coccinea

• Kingdom                                          Plantae – plantes, Planta, Vegetal, plants
• Subkingdom                                    Viridaeplantae – green plants
• Infra kingdom                                  Streptophyta – land plants
• Division                                          Tracheophyta – vascular plants, tracheophytes
• Subdivision                                      Spermatophytina – spermatophytes, seed plants, phanerogames
• Infra-division                                    Angiospermae – flowering plants, angiosperms
• Class                                                 Magnoliopsida
• Superorder                                          Asteranae
• Order                                                   Gentianales
• Family                                                 Rubiaceae – madders, rubiacees
• Genus                                                   Ixora

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