Assessment of toxic effects of aqueous extract of crude desert date (Balanitus aegyptiaca) stem bark on the general health status of Oreochromus niloticus

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Department of Fish Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University

Abstract

The following studies were designed to evaluate the aqueous extract of Balanitus aegyptiaca on O. niloticus general health status. 300 O. niloticus were used to determine the acute half-lethal concentration (LC50/96hrs) of aqueous extract of Balanitus aegyptiaca. Results revealed that the (LC50/96hrs) in O. niloticus was 69 ppm. The effects of short-term exposure to 1/2 (LC50/96hrs) for one week revealed some clinical abnormalities in the form of abnormal swimming behavior, respiratory distress with suffocation, fin rot, and congested gills. The postmortem examination revealed congestion and enlargement of the liver. The effects of long-term exposure to O.niloticus (1:10 LC50/96hrs) for 8 weeks revealed clinical abnormalities in the form of respiratory distress with congested gills in some fish. Hematological examination during the short-term and long-term exposure of O. niloticus revealed that the RBC count PCY and Hb were significantly increased especially in long-term exposure. Leukocyte count was increased significantly only in short-term exposure compared with the control group. Serum enzyme levels of O.niloncus in both short and long-term exposures showed higher levels of ALT and AST than the control group, while there were no significant changes in Urea and Creatinine levels. Histopathological examination of fish exposed to 4 and 1/10 of (LC50/ 96) showed congestion and hyperplasia of secondary gill lamellae in a few cases, congestion, and dilatation of hepatoportal blood vessels with swelling of hepatocytes. Residual analysis of O.niloticus exposed to 1/10 (LC50/96h) for 8 weeks was 3,918 + 0.12 mg/kg of O.niloticus muscle. O.niloticus when challenged with A.hydrophila after 8 weeks of exposure showed a lower mortality rate than the (-) control non-exposed group. By all means, it appears that water pollution by chemicals from plants extracted in the case of illegal fishing is a disaster for the fish population. It leads to severe economic losses through fish mortalities, poor production, and i higher susceptibility to different fish diseases as a result of severe stress.

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