The high feeding and production cost of many Aquaculture enterprises are predicated on the use of expensive conventional feed sources in the diet. Hence, one of the ways to increase the profitability of the venture would be to identify potential cheap alternative feed ingredients with high nutritional factors that can compensate for the needs of the fish. An example of such an alternative feed ingredient is the Watermelon Citrullus lanatus Seed and Rind which is usually discarded as by-products during processing. This study is designed to investigate the proximate composition and Amino Acid profile of these by-products (following standard methods) with a view of its implications in aquaculture fish diet.
The result showed that the crude protein, lipid, and fibre were higher in the seed than the rind of the watermelon. While moisture, Ash and NFE content of rind were better than seeds. Similarly, amino acids such as Arginine and valine were higher than the recommended intake values for Clarias spp and Tilapia. The values of other amino acids were also comparable to the standard requirements previously suggested for these important fish species. It was therefore concluded that watermelon seed and rind could be used as a ready alternative energy source in the diet of tropical cultured fishes. However, further studies are needed to validate these assumptions.