Generally, theinadequatefeedingofaquaticorganismscanmitigatestressanddiseasevulnerability.Incontrast,overfeedinghasworsened thewaterqualityinadditiontothehighfeedingcost.Hence,thepresentstudywasperformedtoevaluatetwofeedingregimes(alternate- day feeding[ADF]anddailyfeeding[DF]),plusdietarysupplementationwith Melissa officinalis (lemonbalmleaves[LBL])ongrowth, bodycomposition,digestion,andhemato-physiological statusofhybridredtilapia(Oreochromis spp.).Fish(n=180) withanaverage weight of18.14
0.48gweredistributedintosixgroups(30 fish/group;3replicates/group;10 fish/replicate)ina2×3 factorialfeedingtrial for 60days.ThegroupswereADF+LBL0, ADF+LBL1,ADF+LBL2,DF+LBL0,DF+LBL1,andDF+LBL2.TheLBLwasaddedto the basaldietatthedosesof0%, 1%, and2%(LBL0, LBL1,andLBL2),respectively.TheoutcomesrevealedthatADFachievedthebestfeed conversion ratio(FCR)(1.68),butthegrowth didnotshowsubstantialvariationbetweenADFandDF.TheLBL1supplementation enhanced finalbodyweight(FBW)(33.16g),totalweightgain(TWG)(14.20g/fish), andspecific growthrate(SGR)(0.93 %/day). The interactionbetweenLBLandfeedingstrategiesshowedthattheADF+LBL1 hadthebestFCR(1.31).Crudelipidandashcontent substantiallychanged(p<0:05)byfeedingregimesandLBLaddition.TheDF+LBL0grouphadthehighestlipid(32.08%) andthelowest ash content(18.28%). DietaryLBL2significantly increased(p<0:05)hemoglobin(Hb)(8.30g/dL),hematocrit(Hct)(26.25%), andwhite blood cell(WBC)count(419.44×103/mm3). Moreover,theADFregimesignificantly decreased(p<0:05)glucoselevel(47.83ng/L); meanwhile, the DFregimenotably increased amylase activity(47.66U/g protein). Our conclusionsuggested thatfeedinghybridredtilapia withanADFschedulewithadietenrichedwithLBLcanimprovegrowth, feedutilization,andphysiologicalresponse.Thisoffersan avenue toassisttheaquaculturesectorandlowerfeedexpenses.