Gobal Advanced Research Journal of Environmental Science and Toxicology (GARJEST) ISSN: 2315-5140
January 2013 Vol. 2(1), pp. 011-021
Copyright © 2013 Global Advanced Research Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Protective effects of tomato paste and Vitamin E on Atrazine-Induced Hematological and biochemical characteristics of Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Imam A. A. Mekkawy^{1, 2}, Usama M. Mahmoud² and Rehab H. Mohammed²

¹Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Taif University, Saudi Arabia.
²Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Assiut University, Egypt.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: iaa_mekkawy@yahoo.co.uk

Accepted 11 December, 2012

Abstract

The pesticides have different adverse impacts on different life stages of fish species with attempts to use dietary antioxidants to counteract their effects. So, the present study investigated the potential protective effects of vitamin E (50 mg/kg BW), tomato paste (in terms of 9 mg lycopene/kg BW) and their combination versus atrazine-induced changes in Clarias gariepinus.  This species were exposed to sublethal doses of atrazine of 1.7 and 3.4 mg/L for 15 and 30 days. Atrazine significantly (P<0.05) induced free radicals in serum constituents.  It caused a significant (P<0.05) increase in serum glucose, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and lipid peroxidation in liver.  Addition of vitamin E and/or tomato paste to the diet of atrazine-treated fish improved the serum glucose, MCV, MCH and LPO levels in comparison to control fish.  On the other hand, atrazine significantly (P<0.05) led to decline in serum total protein, total lipid, blood hemoglobin, total erythrocytes count, packed cell volume, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration.These atrazine-induced parameters were improved with the dietary supplemented  tomato paste and/or vitamin E. 

Keywords: Clarias, Atrazine, Tomato-past, vitamin-E haemotology, biochemistry.