Comparative evaluation of Chinese herbal extracts and synthetic hormones for male Oreochromis spp. production in clay ponds

Abstract

This study compared a Chinese herbal extract mixture to 17α-methyltestosterone (MT) for the development of male red tilapia, Oreochromis spp. across three generations (F0-F1, F1-F2, F2-F3). MT directly reduces natural sex differentiation, whereas herbal extracts do so via phytoandrogenic action, aromatase suppression, immunological support, and growth promotion. In the F0-F1 generation, herbal therapy produced fewer males than MT, but in the F2-F3 generation, both approaches produced 100% males. Growth and survival rates improved in succeeding generations, especially in herbally treated fish, with no negative effects on early life stages. Throughout the research, the water quality was within acceptable limits. Although early ovarian development was temporarily retarded in the herbal F0-F1 group, subsequent generations had normal reproductive timing, indicating reversible effects. Overall, the findings indicate that Chinese herbal extracts are a safe, effective, and long-lasting alternative to synthetic hormones for male Oreochromis spp. production.