Effect of vitamin E and thiamin supplementation on growth rate of the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)

Abstract

A four-month feeding trial was conducted to determine the effects of added dietary vitamin E and thiamin on the growth rate, feed efficiency, and plasma vitamin E concentrations in the American alligator. Seventy-two one-week-old alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) were divided into three classes based on weight and were randomly assigned to receive either experimental or control diets within each weight class. The control diet consisted of capelin (Mallotus villosus) with no supplementation, whereas the experimental diet received supplementation of 950 IU of vitamin E and 525 mg of thiamin per kilogram of capelin. Weight increases observed in response to the supplemented diet were significantly (p<0.05) greater than weight of alligators fed the control diet. Experimental alligators outweighed control alligators at the close of each month during the trial. In each weight class, feed conversion to body mass was also determined to be more efficient in alligators receiving the supplemented diet. Experimental alligators groups consumed more than control groups, indicating that food consumption over the four months was also affected by the treatment so as the.[sic] Plasma α-tocopherol concentrations over the four-month period were significantly (p<0.05) higher in experimental alligators. The results suggest that supplementation will be beneficial in increasing the weight gains, feed efficiencies, and α-tocopherol levels of captive alligators fed a vitamin E and thiamin deficient diet, such as marine fish.