Efficacy of Yucca schidigera extract for ammonia reduction in freshwater: Effectiveness analysis and empirical modeling approach

This study investigates the potential and effectiveness of Yucca schidigera extract (YUPE) for ammonia reduction in freshwater. A concentration-response experiment was conducted to determine the effect of different concentrations of YUPE at 0, 18, 36, 72 and 108 mg/L on total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) at 0, 1, 3 and 9 mg/L. The effectiveness analysis showed that at higher YUPE concentrations, higher TAN reduction was observed. Likewise, an increase in elapsed time also increased TAN reduction. The fraction of reduced TAN at each elapsed time showed that TAN reduction was highest during 12–24 h, and decreased thereafter at 12-h interval presumably due to exhaustion of YUPE's efficacy. An empirical model involving initial TAN, YUPE concentration and time was successfully constructed with high R2 (0.9784). Practical applications of this model on ammonia management strategies were formulated and exemplified for Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus rearing environment.