EXPLORATION THE POTENTIAL OF GARCINIA COWA (ASAM KANDIS) UTILIZATION THROUGH THE COATING METHOD IN FISH FEED ON THE GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF NILE TILAPIA FINGERLINGS

Abstract

Garcinia cowa or commonly known as Asam Kandis in Indonesia, contains several bioactive compounds such as xanthones, flavonoids, tannins, and hydroxycitric acid (HCA), wich are beneficial for health and growth. Owing to these bioactive properties, asam kandis shows potential as a natural alternative feed additive to enhance feed efficiency, and fish growth. This study was conducted using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four treatments and three replications. The treatments consisted of asam kandis extract supplementation at 0% (Treatment A), 0.5% (Treatment B), 1% (Treatment C), and 1.5% (Treatment D). The parameters measured included specific growth rate, survival rate, and feed conversion ratio. Data were analysed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) (p<0.05), followed by Duncan’s Multiple Range Test when significant differences were detected. The results demonstrated that supplementation with 0.5% asam kandis powder (Treatment B), applied using the coating method, yielded the best growth performance in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings, with a specific growth rate of 3.37%, feed conversion ratio of 1.30, and survival rate of 60%. These findings suggest that asam kandis powder has promising potential as a natural feed additive in aquaculture production.