Table 6 Body chemical composition of Florida red tilapia (♂ and ♀) fed Moringa oleifera leaf ethanol extract (MOLE) for 60 days pre-spawning and 120 days spawning period, at different salinities.

Female ♀

Moisture

71.7 ± 0.12^b

71.9 ± 0.06^b

72.1 ± 0.04^b

71.7 ± 0.15^b

68.6 ± 0.33^c

72.6 ± 0.08^a

72.2 ± 0.1^ab

72 ± 0.1^b

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

Dry matter, %

28.3 ± 0.12^b

28.1 ± 0.06^b

27.9 ± 0.04^b

28.3 ± 0.15^b

31.4 ± 0.33^a

27.4 ± 0.08^c

27.8 ± 0.1^bc

28 ± 0.1^b

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

Protein, %

57.8 ± 0.22^d

60.4 ± 0.32^b

60.8 ± 0.21^ab

60.8 ± 0.28^ab

59.2 ± 0.27^c

61.1 ± 0.1^a

60.3 ± 0.27^b

60.8 ± 0.41^ab

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

Lipid, %

21 ± 0.35^a

20.1 ± 0.16^b

20.2 ± 0.07^b

19.9 ± 0.04^c

21.2 ± 0.04^a

20.0 ± 0.17^b

20.1 ± 0.06^b

19 ± 0.13^d

< 0.001

< 0.001

0.012

Ash, %

14.9 ± 0.44^f

16.2 ± 0.23^e

17.9 ± 0.07^c

18.7 ± 0.12^b

17.6 ± 0.17^d

18.1 ± 0.1^c

19.1 ± 0.23^ab

19.5 ± 0.21^a

< 0.001

< 0.001

0.003

Male ♂

Moisture

70 ± 0.16^f

72.1 ± 0.15^d

72.3 ± 0.13^cd

73.1 ± 0.02^a

71.6 ± 0.22^e

72.6 ± 0.13^de

72.9 ± 0.04^ab

73.2 ± 0.03^a

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

Dry matter, %

30 ± 0.16^a

27.9 ± 0.15^c

27.7 ± 0.13^cd

26.9 ± 0.02^f

28.4 ± 0.22^b

27.4 ± 0.13^de

27.1 ± 0.05^ef

26.8 ± 0.03^f

< 0.001

< 0.001

< 0.001

Protein, %

63.3 ± 0.11^d

64.6 ± 0.35^b

64.8 ± 0.35^b

65.7 ± 0.17^a

64.2 ± 0.352^c

65.1 ± 0.35^ab

65.6 ± 0.17^a

65.8 ± 0.16^a

0.012

< 0.001

0.451

Lipid, %

18.2 ± 0.15^a

15.8 ± 0.47^bc

15.5 ± 0.49^bc

14.1 ± 0.29^d

16.4 ± 0.44^b

15.1 ± 0.51^c

14.4 ± 0.26^cd

13.9 ± 0.36^e

0.004

< 0.001

0.274

Ash, %

18.2 ± 0.1^e

19.3 ± 0.06^cd

19.4 ± 0.08^c

20.1 ± 0.08^ab

19.1 ± 0.03^d

19.5 ± 0.1^c

20 ± 0.15^b

20.2 ± 0.02^a

< 0.001

< 0.001

0.003