Pesticide Fipronil-Induced Toxicity in Channa striata: Integrative Analysis of ROS Generation and Systemic Biomarker Responses
摘要
The current study aimed to assess the impacts of sub-acute (7 days) and (14 days) exposure to Fipronil on the freshwater food fish Channa striata. The experimental design included three groups (in triplicate), each comprising 15 fish: Group I (control), Group II (1/20th of the 96 h LC50 of Fipronil), and Group III (1/10th of the 96 h LC50 of Fipronil). Fipronil exposure resulted in significant (p < 0.05) increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS), micronucleus (MN) frequency and poikilocytotic cells. A significant decline (p < 0.05) in RBC count, hemoglobin, PCV, and MCHC was observed, whereas WBC count, MCV, and MCH showed significant increases (p < 0.05) at higher Fipronil concentrations. After 14 days of exposure, group III exhibited a significant (p < 0.05) elevation in hepatic enzyme activities, with SGOT, SGPT, and ALP levels increasing by 1.27-, 2.34-, and 1.10-fold, respectively, with respect to the control. Concurrently, a significant (p < 0.05) rise in renal biomarkers was observed in the same group compared to the control, as evidenced by increased levels of uric acid (1.90-fold), urea (2.30-fold), and creatinine (2.90-fold), indicating pronouncedrenal dysfunction.Histopathological examinations further confirmed irreversible tissue impairment and structural abnormalities in various organs.A strong correlation was observed between ROS, MN (r = 0.91), cellular abnormalities (r = 0.59–0.99), blood indices (r = -0.67–0.75), and hepato-renal markers (0.11–0.99), revealing a coordinated toxic response.Importantly, the study integrates ROS, genotoxic, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological endpoints to elucidate the links underlying Fipronil toxicity in C. striata. Overall, these findings confirm that sub-acute Fipronil exposure compromises fish health, raising concerns for aquatic ecosystems.