The objective of this study was to reveal the growth, colouration and gonado-physiological changes due to the exogenous aromatase inhibitor (AIs) in an ornamental fish. 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) and letrozole (LET) were used as potential AIs. The AI were supplemented with a gel-based feed (LET: 50, 100, 150 and MT: 12.5, 25, 37.5 mg/kg feed) in Rosy barb, Pethia conchonius fry. The fishes were reared in a 45-L glass tank using AI treated gel-based feed for 3 months. Growth in AI-based diets was reduced but the reduction was minimal compared to the control. At 25 mg/kg feed of 17 MT, the highest male proportion (84.72% 6.05%) was recorded, which was significantly higher (P≤0.05) than other groups. L*, a*, and b* values showed that 17α-MT-fed groups had brighter coloration (P≤0.05). Histological sections showed that LET-17α-MT suppressed ovarian development, causing atretic oocytes. Testicular development was unaffected. 25 mg/kg-treated feed increased SOD, CAT, GST, and GPX. The AI (MT) at 25 mg/kg gel-based feed could therefore be utilised for musculinization without impacting growth, colour, and antioxidant activity of rosy barb, which serves the entire male population in the ornamental fish sector.
Copyright: © 2023 Lal et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.