EFFECT OF ZINC PRETREATMENT ON THE PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF AFRICAN CATFISH(CLARIAS GARIEPINUS) EXPERIMENTALLY CHALLENGED WITH PSEUDOMONAS AEROGINOSA.

The growing number of bacterial infections in aquaculture, especially those caused by *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*, is a major problem for fish health and productivity. Zinc (Zn), a necessary trace element, has known immune-boosting properties and is used in aquaculture to strengthen fish immunity. However, its impact on the nutritional quality of fish is not well understood. This study explored how zinc pre-treatment affects the nutritional content of African catfish (*Clarias gariepinus*) that were infected with *P. aeruginosa*. Young African catfish were exposed to either 50 or 100 µg/L of zinc for six weeks before being infected with *P. aeruginosa* for two weeks. Fish in the control group were not given zinc and were not infected. After two weeks of infection, the fish were killed, and their nutritional content—such as moisture, ash, protein, fat, and carbohydrates—was measured. The groups that received zinc had more protein and less fat compared to the control group. Also, zinc pre-treatment seemed to lessen the negative effects of the *P. aeruginosa* infection, as shown by the better nutritional condition of the zinc-treated fish compared to those infected without zinc. The study shows that zinc can improve both the nutritional value and disease resistance of African catfish in aquaculture, suggesting that zinc pre-treatment could be a useful method for improving fish health and making aquaculture more efficient when dealing with bacterial infections.