Impact of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) seed extract (VBE) supplementation on reproductive hormones, growth, and gonad development in male and female Jatimbulan tilapia (Oreochromis sp.)

This study investigated the effects of velvet bean (Mucuna pruriens) seed extract (VBE) supplementation on growth performances, gonadomoatic index (GSI), dopamine levels, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, and feed digestibility in male and female Jatimbulan tilapia (Oreochromis sp.). A completely randomized design was used, with five doses of velvet bean extract (VBE) (0, 2, 3, 5, and 7 mL/kg) and four replicates. The solution (70 mL) of VBE, carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and distilled water was mixed evenly into a 2-mm commercial feed pellet (Hi-Provite 781–2), which contained 33% crude protein and 4% crude fat. Jatimbulan tilapia (5–7 cm in length and 2.70–3.21 g of weight) were sourced from the Umbulan Aquaculture Installation in Pasuruan, East Java, Indonesia. A total of 1000 tilapia (500 males and 500 females) were randomly assigned to 20 floating hapa nets (2 × 1 × 1 m) according to the treatments at a stocking density of 25 fish/m³ and cultured for 60 days and fed the assigned treatments. Growth parameters were measured every 10 days, while gonadal development and hormone levels were assessed at the end of the culture period. The results showed that VBE supplementation significantly increased dopamine levels and decreased FSH levels in both male and female tilapia (p < 0.05). The highest dopamine level (950 pg/mL) was observed in fish fed with 5 mL/kg of VBE, while the lowest FSH level (1.34 ng/mL) was recorded in fish consuming feed supplemented with 7 mL/kg of VBE. Supplementation of VBE significantly affected the gonad somatic index (GSI) of Jatimbulan tilapia (p < 0.05). GSI and gonadal maturity levels in females were reduced with the increasing VBE supplementation (the lowest GSI with 7 mL/kg diet), whereas GSI and gonadal maturity in males tilapia were enhanced with the increasing supplementation concentration (the highest GSI T 7 mL/kg diet). Additionally, VBE improved specific growth rate and feed digestibility in both tilapia sexes, with the best results observed at 5 mL/kg supplementation. These findings suggest that VBE may modulate reproductive hormone levels while promoting growth performance in Jatimbulan tilapia, offering potential applications in aquaculture management. This study can be necessarily continued to investigate the efficacy of velvet bean seed extract on other species.