Effect of Red Beet Juice (Beta vlgaris) on Pigmentation of Fillet and Growth Performance of Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

ABSTRACT: The limitation in the use of synthetic pigments in food industries and aquaculture due to the related health issues is one of the main reasons to substitute natural pigments as food additives. Hence, a study was conducted to evaluate the effect of red beet juice (Beta vulgaris L.) as a natural pigment additive on fillet pigmentation and growth performance of rainbow trout. Four practical diets containing 0 (control basal diet), 2, 4 and 6 % red beet juice were formulated and fed to triplicate groups of fish. 480 rainbow trout (50 ± 4 g) were random distributed between 12 fiber glass tanks of 500 L capacity. During a 60 days, fishes received 4 and 6 % red beet juice in diet, were affected by higher pigmentation compared to other treatments (P < 0.05). However, the rate of the growth of fish group fed with 6 % red beet juice were negatively affected significantly. The results indicated that the inclusion of 2 and 4 % red beet juice was more reliable for suitable coloration and growth in which 4 % were found the most reliable amongst studied ratios