Table 2 Ingredients composition and proximate analysis of experimental diets (% dry matter) of iron nanoparticles (Fe-NPs), fed to Pangasianodon hypophthalmus for 40 days.

Soybean meal^a

35.5

35.5

35.5

Fish meal^a

25

25

25

Groundnut meal^a

10

10

10

Wheat flour^a

17.47

17.46

17.455

Sunflower oil^a

4.5

4.5

4.5

Cod liver oil^a

1.5

1.5

1.5

CMC^b

2

2

2

Vitamin and mineral mix*

2

2

2

Vitamin C^c

0.03

0.03

0.03

Lecithin^b

2

2

2

Fe-NPs

0

0.001

0.0015

Proximate composition of the diets

Crude protein (CP)

35.22 ± 0.28

35.28 ± 0.03

35.05 ± 0.09

Ether extract (EE)

9.29 ± 0.04

9.54 ± 0.12

9.57 ± 0.16

Total carbohydrate (TC)

37.69 ± 0.18

37.19 ± 0.35

36.72 ± 0.45

Organic matter (OM)

90.75 ± 0.04

90.19 ± 0.49

90.29 ± 0.54

Dry matter (DM)

91.44 ± 0.20

91.82 ± 0.43

91.05 ± 0.18

Digestible energy (DE)

356.62 ± 0.82

356.67 ± 1.21

354.05 ± 1.69

Iron (Fe, mg kg^− 1)

2.62 ± 0.13

13.81 ± 0.32

19.48 ± 0.60