Efficacy of Vernonia amygdalina on Columnaris Disease Management and Growth Enhancement in Nile Tilapia

Background and Objective: Nile tilapia is vital for aquaculture but faces growth issues due to pollutants. Traditional antibiotic growth promoters pose risks like antibiotic resistance. This study evaluates the efficacy of Vernonia amygdalina leaf against columnaris disease and its impact on the growth of Oreochromis niloticus over eight weeks in Ghana, assessing its potential as a natural alternative. Materials and Methods: Different levels of powdered V. amygdalina leaf (300, 400 and 50 g) were added to 13.89 m³ of water across four treatments (two replicates each). Treatments included leaf additions and a control (no additives). The study lasted for eight weeks, with samples taken to assess weight gain, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate and condition factor. Microsoft Excel and Graph Pad Prism version 5.03 was used to analyze the data and one-way ANOVA was used to detect significant differences among treatments. Results: Groups with 300 and 400 g of V. amygdalina showed significant improvements in weight gain, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate and condition factor without compromising water quality. The intestinal tract histomorphology exhibited larger and thicker surfaces. Mortality rates were low and survival rates were high (90.92±0.25 and 86.42±1.43 g). Conclusion: Vernonia amygdalina at 300 and 400 g in 13.89 m³ of water effectively cures columnaris in O. niloticus, improves growth and enhances digestive tract morphology without harming the environment. As such, V. amygdalina can be a cost-effective, natural remedy that can benefit aquaculture by promoting healthier and more robust fish production.