Acute and subchronic toxicity of metal complex azo acid dye and anionic surfactant oil on fish Oreochromis niloticus.

The acute toxicity study of metal complex dark green azo acid dye, anionic surfactant oil and their mixture determined the 96 hr LC50, and fish behaviours. Subchronic toxicity determined haematology parameters and concentrations of copper and chromium in blood. The 96 hr LC50 was determined by probit analysis and subchronic toxicity was conducted in 90 days. No mortalities were observed in control and anionic surfactant oil treatments. The 96 hr LC50 value of mixture was 26.7 mg I(-1) (95% CL = 20.7 - 46.8) and that of metal complex dark green azo acid dye was not met as the percentage of dead was below 50% of tested organisms. In a treatment of anionic surfactant oil and that of mixture observed behaviours were respiration response, uncoordinated movement, loss of equilibrium, erratic posture and loss of responsiveness. Subchronic toxicity indicated fluctuations in number of erythrocytes, leukocytes and thrombocytes in all chemical treatments. Erythrocyte morphology such as anisocytosis, erythrocytes hypertrophy, karyolysis, cytoplasm vacuolation, ghost cell were observed in fish blood in all chemical treatments. An inverse relation was observed between total copper and chromium concentration in blood. However, the toxicity effect was chemical dose dependent and length of exposure.

Effects of Wheat Naturally Contaminated with Fusarium Mycotoxins on Growth Performance and Selected Health Indices of Red Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus × O. mossambicus).

An 8-week feeding trial was conducted to examine effects of wheat naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins (deoxynivalenol, DON 41 mg·kg(-1)) on growth performance and selected health indices of red tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus × O. mossambicus; initial weight = 4.3 g/fish). Five experimental diets were formulated by replacement of clean wheat with naturally contaminated wheat resulting in graded levels of DON and zearalenone (ZEN) (Diet 1 0.07/0.01, Diet 2 0.31/0.09, Diet 3 0.50/0.21, Diet 4 0.92/0.37 and Diet 5 1.15/0.98 mg·kg(-1)). Groups of 50 fish were randomly allocated into each of 20 aquaria and fed to near-satiety for eight weeks. Growth rate, feed intake and feed efficiency of fish fed the experimental diets decreased linearly with increasing levels of Fusarium mycotoxins (p < 0.05). Although growth depression was associated with feeding diets naturally contaminated with Fusarium mycotoxins, especially DON, no biochemical and histopathological parameters measured in blood and liver appeared affected by Fusarium mycotoxin concentrations of diets (p > 0.05). Though there was no clear evidence of overt DON toxicity to red tilapia, it is recommended that feed ingredients should be screened for Fusarium mycotoxin contamination to ensure optimal growth performance.

Alteration in certain enzymological parameters of an Indian major carp, Cirrhinus mrigala exposed to short- and long-term exposure of clofibric acid and diclofenac.

The extensive use of pharmaceuticals in human and veterinary medicine may enter the aquatic environment and pose a serious threat to non-target aquatic organisms like fish. In this study, Indian major carp Cirrhinus mrigala was exposed to different concentrations (1, 10 and 100 µg L⁻¹) of most commonly used pharmaceutical drugs clofibric acid (CA) and diclofenac (DCF) to evaluate its impacts on certain enzymological parameters during short- and long-term exposures. During short-term (96 h) exposure period, plasma glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) and gill Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity were significantly altered at all concentrations of both the CA- and DCF-treated fish. In long-term exposure (35 days), gill Na⁺/K⁺-ATPase activity was found to be significantly increased at all concentration of CA and DCF exposures throughout the study period (except at the end of 7th day in 10 and 100 µg L⁻¹) . However, a biphasic trend was observed in plasma GOT and GPT activity when compared to the control groups. In both short- and long-term exposure, a significant (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05) changes were observed in all enzymological parameters of fish C. mrigala exposed to different concentrations of CA and DCF. The alterations of these enzymological parameters can be effectively used as potential biomarkers in monitoring of pharmaceutical toxicity in aquatic environment and organisms.

Effects of sub-lethal levels of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene on in vitro steroid biosynthesis by ovarian follicles or steroid metabolism by embryos of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

This study examined the possibility that DDT and DDE, at sub-lethal exposure levels, exert direct effects on the biotransformation of gonadal steroids by rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ovarian follicles and embryos. Ovarian follicles were co-incubated with DDT or DDE at 0.01 or 1 mg l-1 to examine effects of the pesticides on basal or cAMP-activated steroidogenesis. Ovarian preparations were incubated with radiolabelled [3H]pregnenolone ([3H]P5), and the tritiated metabolites of [3H]P5 metabolism were separated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Testosterone (T) and 17beta-estradiol (E2) production were also measured using radioimmunoassay (RIA). Embryos were either exposed to the pesticides in ovo, or co-incubated in vitro with the pesticides. The effect of the pesticides on embryo steroid biotransformation was examined using a range of radioactively labelled substrates, including [3H]P5, [3H]progesterone ([3H]P4), [3H]T and [3H]E2. At the concentrations used, the pesticides had no significant effect on the relative amounts of unconjugated radiolabelled steroids formed by the biotransformation of [3H]P5 under conditions of basal or cAMP-stimulated ovarian steroidogenesis. However, DDT and DDE appeared to reduce the basal accumulation of androgen as a product of P5 biotransformation by ovarian follicles. Basal or cAMP-stimulated total estrogen production was not affected. In addition, DDT at 1 mg l-1 and DDE at 0.01 mg l-1 significantly increased and decreased cAMP-stimulated T accumulation, respectively. Also DDT at 0.01 mg l-1 and DDE at 1 mg l-1 significantly increased and decreased basal E2 accumulation, respectively. The steroid metabolites synthesized from the different substrates by embryos were essentially similar in both controls and pesticide-exposed groups, and the survival of embryos to hatch was not significantly affected by pesticide exposure, in ovo, with an approximately 90% hatchability in all treatment groups. This study suggests that although DDT and DDE may affect ovarian androgen synthesis under some conditions, under the conditions of the present study, they do not impact on overall rates of gonadal estrogen synthesis. Similarly, the pesticides do not appear to directly affect steroid biotransformation by embryos.