17 Tahreem Abbas Muhammad Zubair-ul-Hassan Arsalan Syed Makhdoom Hussain Muhammad Asrar A. Riaz Shafaqat Ali Rukhsanda Aziz Faiza Afzal Muhammad Amjad Zainab Akram Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences JAPS 20262026 36 4 1018-7081 https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.4.0086 <p><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 149%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ligatures: standardcontextual; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Lycopene is a lipophilic natural antioxidant that effectively neutralizes oxygen and free radicals. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of lycopene supplemented canola meal-based diets on growth, nutrient digestibility, hematology, carcass composition, and mineral digestibility of <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Cirrhinus</span> mrigala</em> fingerlings. Six concentrations of lycopene supplementation (0%, 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, and 5%) were prepared. A feeding rate <span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; background: white;">of 5% live body weight was given to the fish for three months, stocked in tanks (n=270; average weight= </span>5.31 &plusmn; 0.039 g<span style="color: black; mso-color-alt: windowtext; background: white;">). The results showed that </span>weight gain % (288.49&plusmn;9.82%), FCR (1.332&plusmn;0.03), protein content (77.50&plusmn;0.87%), and gross energy (75.42&plusmn;0.94%) were significantly higher in the group fed 3% lycopene supplemented diets, </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 149%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ligatures: standardcontextual; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">while crude fat digestibility (77.94&plusmn;1.43%) was maximum at 2% lycopene level. </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 149%; font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ligatures: standardcontextual; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">Furthermore, the hematological parameters were significantly improved at Test-diet IV (3% lycopene supplementation). Moreover, the body composition parameters and mineral digestibility (Ca, K, Fe, Cu, Zn, Na, and P) were substantially enhanced when <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">C. mrigala</em><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> were fed the </span>Test-diet IV.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">&nbsp; </span>In conclusion, the supplementation of 3% lycopene in canola meal-based diets is recommended for <em style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">C. mrigala </em><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">fingerlings, enhancing </span>growth performance, nutritional digestibility, and blood parameters.</span></p> Lycopene, aquaculture, fishmeal, canola meal, supplementation Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum https://thejaps.org.pk/AbstractView.aspx?mid=2025-JAPS-998