The sublethal exposure (0.24 ppm) of Nuvan on some biochemical compositions such as serum protein, blood glucose, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (AST) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (ALT) and on some hematological parameters such as red blood corpuscles (RBC), white blood corpuscles (WBC), hemoglobin  content (Hb), mean corpuscular concentration (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) of Catla catla fingerlings were studied. The hematological and biochemical parameters evoked a significant reduction (excepting MCV, ALT and AST which is  significantly increased) with increasing days of Nuvan exposure

Medda, C.

Aquatic Commons

Journal of the Indian Fisheries Association 	 113 
23, 1993, 113-116 
HAE ti  r TOLOGICAL AND BIOC MICAL ALTERATIONS OF CATLA CATLA 
FINGERLINGS FOLLOWING SUBLET EXPOSURE TO NUVAN 
CHIRANJIB MEDDA 
Biometry Research Unit, Indian Statistical Institute, 
203, Barrackpore Trunk Road, Calcutta - 700 035 
ABST CT 
The sublethal exposure (0.24 ppm) of Nuvan on some biochemical compositions such as 
serum protein, blood glucose, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (AST) and glutamate 
pyruvate transaminase (ALT) and on some haematological parameters such as red blood 
corpuscles (RBC), white blood corpuscles (WBC), haemoglobin content (Hb), mean corpuscular 
concentration (MCV), mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (MCHC) of Calla calla 
fingerlings were studied. The haematological and biochemical parameters evoked a significant 
reduction (excepting MCV, ALT and AST which is significantly increased) with increasing days 
of Nuvan exposure. 
In the modern world, the total aquatic 
ecosystem is highly affected due to the industrial 
modernization and side by side the agricultural 
development. Most of the insecticides used by 
farmers are discharged consequently into the 
aquatic system through agricultural run-off and 
found to be highly toxic to many non-target 
organisms (Bostrom and Johansson, 1972). This 
is a serious menace to pisciculture, since both 
the fish and their food are equally affected. 
Several workers have studied the deleterious 
effect of insecticides on haematological 
alterations on fishes. Rao et al. 1985, 
Subramanian et al. 1988, Varadaraj et al. 1993 
and Narendra et al. 1993). Among the organic 
pesticides organophosphorus commands are 
extensively used because of their high activity, 
variety of action and less persistance in nature. 
The present study is undertaken to observe the 
effect of a sublethal concentration of Nuvan, a 
commonly used organophosphorus compound 
on red blood corpuscles (RBC), white blood 
corpuscles (WBC), haemoglobin content (lib), 
mean haemoglobin corpuscular volume (MCV), 
mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration 
(MCHC) and also on some biochemical 
composition such as blood glucose, serum 
protein, glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase 
(AST), and glutamate pyruvate transaminase 
(ALT) of Catla catla fingerlings over different 
exposure periods. 
The samples (ay. wt 10.21 ± 0.78 g and ay. 
length 8.84 ± 0.64 cm) were collected from a 
local freshwater pond and acclimatized in the 
tap water for 15 days under natural photo period. 
They were fed with tubifex worm ad libitum. 
Healthy fingerlings of C. catla were kept @ 10/ 
aquaria in 3 glass aquaria each containing 20 
litres of tap water. The water was changed daily 
and the water quality parameters analysed 
following standardmethods (APHA, 1980). The 
average values of physico-chemical parameter 
of water were: temperature, 28 ± 1 °C; salinity 
3.6 to 4.4%o. pH 7.4 ± 0.2; and dissolved 
oxygen 8.3 ± 1.0 ppm. Nuvan was applied to the 
glass aquaria so that the final concentration of 
the pesticide was 0.24 ppm., a concentration 
selected after determination of the LC 50 value 
of the samples under study according to Litchfield 
and Wilcoxon, (1949). 
A concurrent control was maintained in an 
identical condition without the application of 
Nuvan. No mortality was observed throughout 
the experimental period. Both normal and 
experimental fishes were fed tubifex worm ad 
libitum once daily and aeration was provided 
throughout the experimental period. On the 
third day of exposure the blood was collected 
and the haematological and biochemical 
parameters analysed following the methods of 
Dacie and Lewis (1984), Lowry et al. (1951), 
114 	 NOTES 
and Reitman and Frankel, (1957). After 7th and 
15th days of exposure the fishes were sacrificed 
and the haematological and biochemical 
parameters analysed as before. Statistical 
significance was estimated by student's 't' test. 
It was observed that all the haematological 
and biochemical parameters under study were 
significantly affected by exposure to sublethal 
concentration of Nuvan during the experimental 
period, the red blood corpuscles (RBC), white  
blood corpuscles (WBC) counts, haemoglobin 
content (Hb) and mean corpuscular, haemoglobin 
concentration (MCHC) were significantly 
reduced and mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 
significantly increased during exposure (Table 
I.). There was also a significant hypoglycemic 
and hypoproteinamic response and the glutamate 
oxaloacetate transaminase (AST) and glutamate 
pyruvate transaminase (ALT) concentrations 
were significantly increased (Table 2.) 
Table 1 o Effect of sublethal concentration of Nuvan on some haematological parameters of the 
blood of Catla catla fingerlings. 
Parameters Control 3 days 7 days 15 days 
fish exposure exposure exposure 
**** **** **** 
RBC (million/cmm) 5.54±0.19 4.12+0.17 3.91±0.16 2.23+0.11 
*** *** **** 
WBC (thousandicnun) 29.85±1.82 21.24+1.74 18.35±1.66 16.25+1.62 
*** *** **** 
Hb (Gm%) 6.28+0.40 4.16±0.33 4.02+0.36 3.77±0.31 
** *** **** 
MCV (M3) 166.05+7.22 192.21+8.06 208.44+8.23 219.20+8.44 
* *** **** 
MCHC (%) 24.76+1.56 19.25±1.26 18.15+1.22 14.54+1.08 
Table 2 e Effect of sublethal concentration of Nuvan on some biochemical constituents of the blood 
of Catla catla fingerlings. 
Parmeters 	 Control 	 3 days 	 7 days 	 15 days 
fish 	 exposure 	 exposure 	 exposure 
*** **** **** 
Serum protein (g/100m1) 42.24+1.22 34.26+1.18 33.20+1.09 30.51+1.11 
**** **** **** 
Blood glucose (mg/100m1) 110.28+1.54 94.06+1.47 81.25+1.44 72.57+1.49 
**** **** **** 
ALT (u/l) 52.50+1.23 74.71+2.77 84.90+3.35 87.12+3.45 
** *** **** 
AST (u/1) 66.28+2.72 78.54+2.98 2.40+3.01 88.40+3.06 
Significant at 0.001 level 
Significant at 0.01 level 
Significant at 0.025 level 
Significant at 0.05 level 
NOTES 	 115 
The reduction in RBC, Hb, MCHC 
concentration with a concomitant increase of 
MCV could be due to macrocytic anaemia (Rao 
et al. 1985). The fall in WBC count could be due 
to loss of effiCiency in the defence mechanism 
against the Nuvan treatment, as observed 
elsewhere by Subramanian et al. (1988). But a 
significant increase of mean corpuscular volume 
(MCV) of blood due to macrocytic anaemia has 
also been observed. Decreased blood glucose 
levels were noticed and this hupoglycemic 
condition appeared to be due to the rapid 
utilization of glucose during hyperexcibility 
(Narendra et al. 1993). The suppression of protein 
level of the blood of treated fishes was comparable 
to those reported by Jha (1991) and Khanee 
(1992). This may be attributed to spontaneous 
utilization of aminoacids in various catabolic 
reactions that arise tO combat the pesticide 
stress. The hypoproteinamic response was also 
observed in fingerling of Labeo rohita and 
Cirrhina mrigala exposed to different sublethal . 
concentrations of Nuvan and phosphamidon 
(Medda et al. 1992, 1993). The increased 
activities of AST and ALT during Nuvan 
treatment may be due to the rapid turnover of 
enzymes activities following increased supply 
of substrates. Usha and Rai (1993) used the 
increase in the levels of these enzymes as a 
specific indication of hepatic cell damage and 
found them to be time and dose dependant. 
The author is thankful to all the staff of 
Biometry Research Unit for their whole hearted 
co-operation during this work. 
REFERENCES 
APHA, 1980. Standard Methods for the 
Estimation of Water and Wastewater. 
15th ed. APHA, AWWA and WPCF. 
Washington D.C. 
Bostrom, S.L. and Johansson, R.J. 1972. Effect 
of penta chlorophenol on enzymes involved 
in energy metabolism in the liver of eel. 
Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 41 (B) : 359 -
369. 
Bergmeyer, H.V..1965. Estimation of D-glucose 
by glucose oxidase method : Method of 
Enzymatic Analysis, 2nd printing revised. 
123 - 131. 
Dacie, J. V. and Lewis, S.M. 1984. Practical 
Haematology, Churchill, Livingstone. 
Jha, B.S. 1991. Alteration in the protein and 
lipid contents of intestine, liver and gonads 
in the lead exposed freshwater murrel 
Channapunctatus. J.Ecobiol., 3 (1):29-34. 
Khanee, K.M.A.N., James, R.R. and Manjula, 
D.N. 1992. Sublethal effects of deltamethrin 
on the rate of excretion and metabolism and 
protein changes in Oreochromis 
mossambicus. J.Ecobiol., 4 (2) : 81 -85. 
Litchfield, J. T. (Jr) and Wilcoxon, F..1949. 
A simplified method of evaluating dose 
effect experiments. J. Pharmacol. Exp. 
Theor., 96 : 99-113. 
Lowry, C.H., Rosenbrough, N.J., Farr, A.L. 
and Randall, R.J. 1951. Protein 
measurement with Folin phenol reagent. 
J. Biol. Chem., 193: 265-275. 
Medda, C., Sarkar, S.K., Ganguly, S and 
Basu, T.K. 1992. Effects of dichlorvos, 
Nuvan, on some important bioindicators of 
two freshwater major carps Labeo Rohita 
and Cirrhina mrigala. J. Inland. Fish. Soc. 
India., 24 (2) : 36-39. 
Medda, C., Sarkar, S.K., Ganguly, S and 
Basu, T.K. 1992. Effects of phosphamidon 
on three important bioindicators and their 
recovery in two freshwater carps, Labeo 
rohita and Cirrhina mrigala. Poll. Res., 12 
(3) : 151-157. 
Narendra,N. Singh,A.K. and Srivastava, 
A.K.1993. Biochemical changes in the 
freshwater Indian catfish, Heteropneustes 
fossilis following exposure to sublethal 
concentration of aldrin. J. Environ.Biol., 
14 (1) : 7 - 12. 
116 	 NOTES 
Rao, S., Prasad, K.R.K.S., Rao, I.K., Ahmad 
Sahib and Ramana Rao, K.V. 1985. 
Combined action of carbaryland phen thoate 
on a freshwater fish, Channa punctatus 
(Bloch). Ecotoxicol. and Environ. ,S'af., 10 
: 209-217. 
Reitman, S. andFrankel, 5.1957. Colorimetric 
method for the determination of serum 
transaminase activity. Amer. J. Clin. Pathol., 
28 56-63. 
SUbramanian, M.A., Sahul Hameed, M. and 
Varadaraj, G. 1988. Haematological 
changes in the fish Macrones keletius 
(Gunther) after exposure to the tannery 
effluent. The Indian Zoologist, 12 :71-74. 
Usha, K. and Rai, V. 1993. Changes in the 
plasma levels of phosphates and 
transaminases in rabbits following vanadium 
exposure. Poll. Res., 12 (1) : 19 - 27. 
Varadaraj, G. Subramanian, M.A. and 
Nagarajan, R. 1993. The effect of sublethal 
concentration of paper and pulpmill effluent . 
on the haematological parameters of 
Oreochronlis mossanthicus. (Peters). J. 
• 
 
Environ. Biol., 14 (4) : 321 - 325. 
Errata 
Volume 22, 1992. Distribution of decapod larvae in the Bombay harbour - Thana - Bassein 
creek regions. Page 25 Table II 
After Penaeidea incorporate 
Caridea 
Families : Pasiphaeidae 
Palaemonidae 
Alpheidae 
Hippolytidae 
Processidae 
Crangonidae 


Haematological and biochemical alterations of Catla catla fingerlings following sublethal exposure to Nuvan

http://aquaticcommons.org/16339/1/JIFA23_113.pdf

Haematological and biochemical alterations of Catla catla fingerlings following sublethal exposure to Nuvan

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

Aquatic Commons