This trial spanning 28 days, was conducted to investigate the effects of quercetin on alleviating dietary lead (Pb)-induced growth retardation and oxidative stress in juvenile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Four hundred fish were randomly divided into four treatments with four replicates in each group, 25 fish in each replicate. The four treatments were: control treatment (fed with a basal diet), Pb treatment (fed with a basal diet+800 mg Pb/kg), Pb+Q1 treatment (fed with a basal diet+800 mg Pb/kg+800 mg quercetin/kg), and Pb+Q2 treatment (fed with a basal diet+800 mg Pb/kg+1600 mg quercetin/kg). Compared with the control treatment, final body weight, weight gain rate and feed conversion rate of Pb treatment were significantly affected (P0.05). Survival rate of all treatments was similar (P>0.05). Malondialdehyde level, total antioxidation capacity level, and activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase in hepatopancreas of Pb treatment were significantly affected (P0.05).Results indicated that dietary quercetin supplementation could ameliorate the harmful effects of dietary Pb exposure on growth and effectively normalize antioxidant status in hepatopancreas of tilapia
