Biofuel co-products as livestock feed - Opportunities and challenges

364Biofuel co-products as livestock feed – Opportunities and challengesare indicators of liver, kidney and gill function (Stoskopf,1993; Tietz, 1986) were also in the normal range (Kumaret al., 2010b). This suggested that the liver, kidney and gillsof the common carp were in a normal functional conditionin the DJKM-fed groups (Kumar et al., 2010b). Also whencommon carp were fed DJKM as a protein source (Kumaret al., 2010b; Kumar, 2011), haematology [haematocrit,haemoglobin and red blood cell count] values were withinnormal ranges (Ghittino, 1983; Rosenlund et al., 2004).One of the few unusual effects observed was a significantreduction in blood cell size (measured as mean cell volume)as the content of DJKM proteins increased in common carpdiets (Kumar et al., 2010b). As this observation appearedto coincide with increased spleen size, it was suggestedthat some of the plant ingredients may have caused earlyrelease of immature erythrocytes (Kumar et al., 2010b). Itmay be noted that the spleen was larger in DJKM proteinfedgroups than in the control group (fishmeal-based diet)(Kumar et al., 2010b). Blood protein is considered a basicindex for health and nutritional status in fish (Martinez,1976). Among the blood proteins, albumin and globulinare the major proteins, which play a key role in the immuneresponse. Lysozyme is regarded as the first line of defense,with high activity in mucus, serum, gills and the alimentarytract (Lie et al., 1989). Feeding DJKM to common carp ledto significantly higher (P 0.05) for control and J 50 group, but were higher(P