الفهرس 
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Abstract
Human requirements for fish spending had increased all over the world since it became the main different source of the animal protein. The price of energy supplements for animal feeds has recently increased dramatically with their increasing demand and that lead up to search for cheaper high-energy feed ingredients.
Date pits are a by-product of date processing, so about 189 000 MT of date pits are obtainable each year as byproduct of date industry in Egypt. Date pits are common in the feeding of ruminant animal. The high substance of indigestible carbohydrates may limit their use in the fish diets. Because of the elevated cost of enzyme used in animal feeding, many researchers studied and suggested the use of the soft-rot fungus, trichoderma. reesei, which was able to produce the xylanase and cellulases enzymes, as an economical substitute for dietary fibers fermentation.
In aquaculture, many studies showed that infectious diseases in aquaculture are the main reason of losses in economy.
Probiotic supplementation might alter the microbiota of the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the use of fungi fermented date pits as a feed component and its role in decreasing the bacterial infection via estimation of the intestinal bacterial count of the fish.
Plan of the work
Groups of ten fish were randomly stocked into each aquarium, with three replicates per each treatment. Each aquarium was considered as an experimental unit with different doses of date pits and fermented date pits for 6 weeks.
At the end of the experiment, blood, intestine and tissue samples were obtained and the following parameters were measured:
Biochemical analysis:
1. Blood hemoglobin
2. Serum glucose
3. Serum total cholesterol
4. Serum triglycerides
Fish proximate analysis:
1. Muscle water content
2. Muscle proteins content
3. Muscle lipids content
4. Muscle ash
5. Bacterial count
Results of the present study can be summarized as follows
1. The specific growth rate of fish during feeding with DP remained unchanged at concentration 50 g/kg. Whereas, it was decreased at all other concentrations when compared to the control group.
2. A highly significant increase in growth rate was recorded with increasing the concentration of FDP.
3. Serum glucose levels were not changed when compared to the control during feeding with DP. It was increased significantly in fish fed on FDP compared to the control and it was at the highest level at concentration of 150 g/kg
4. Hemoglobin content during feeding with DP was depleted compared to the control, except at the concentration of 200 g/kg diet. While, feeding with FDP a direct correlation was obtained, by increasing the concentration of FDP the hemoglobin content increased (p<0.001).
5. Cholesterol levels were significantly decreased during feeding with date pit at concentrations 50 and 100 g/kg compared to the control group.
6. Using FDP, cholesterol levels in serum were increased significantly compared to controls at concentrations 150 and 300 g/kg.
7. There was no significant difference in serum triglycerides level during feeding with DP at all concentrations. Its level was increased significantly during feeding with FDP at concentrations 150 and 450 g/kg compared to the control group.
8. No significant change in muscle lipids content at all date pit concentrations compared to control. Muscle lipids in fish fed on FDP was significantly increased at concentration 150 and 450 gkg-1 when compared to control.
9. No significant change in muscle protein content was present at all DP concentrations but only a significant decrease was noticed at concentration of 200g/kg diet. No significant change in muscle protein content occurred at all concentrations of FDP compared to control groups.
10. There was no change in muscle water content during feeding with DP and FDP.
11. Depletion of total bacterial count was obtained in fish fed on DP compared to control. Total intestinal bacterial counts of fish treated with FDP were decreased compared to both control and date pit.
Bacterial count was decreased by increasing the date pit or fermented date pit concentrations. At FDP concentration 300g/kg; bacterial counts decreased significantly showing a similar response to that with antibiotic-treated control.
Recommendations
1. Investigation of other animal species fed on date pits and fungi-fermented date pits.
2. Determination of fungi-fermented date pits effects on other harmful intestinal bacteria species.