Commonly Available Plant Neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) Ameliorates Dimethoate Induced Toxicity in Climbing Perch Anabas testudineus

Abstract

AbstractOrganophosphorus compounds such as dimethoate (DM) widely used as pesticides due their less persistence in the environment, causes harmful effects in fish and other aquatic organisms. Alcoholic leaf extracts of Azadirachta indica (A. indica) were verified for their possible modulatory changes in fish (Anabas testudineus) by taking into consideration a few haematological, enzymological, histological, and behavioural parameters for 7, 15, and 45 days. Different sets of fish were segregated into the following groups, namely, Group I: normal control without any treatment, Group II: Pesticide treatment at a dose of 13.14 ppm (μg L−1) which is 1/3 of LC50 value (DM), Group III: Pesticide treatment as in group II along with A. indica extract at a dose of 10.32 (μg L−1) which is also 1/3rd of inhibitory concentration of A. indica used to reduce the toxicity burden of dimethoate during the determination of its LC50 bioassay, Group IV: Only plant extract treated at a dose of 10.32 (μg L−1) which is 1/3rd of inhibitory concentration of A. indica used during acute toxicity bioassay. The haematological study reveals that there was a significant decrease of RBC, WBC, MCV, MCHC, and MCH and sudden increase in HCT, PLT in fish treated with DM in comparison to fish treated with DM+ A. indica extract and treated only with A. indica extract at all the three exposure times (7, 15, and 45 days). Similarly, ALP, ACP, GGT, the content of urea and total cholesterol increased at all three exposure times in DM treated fish group when compared to DM+ A. indica extract-treated group. Histopathological observations of gill and liver revealed marked changes in DM treated group which was remarkably modulated in DM+ A. indica extract-treated group. Phytochemical analysis of the leaves reveals the presence of many phytoconstituents. A. indica was used for the first time to protect Anabas testudineus against dimethoate induced toxicity and the present investigation revealed that A. indica had potent protective potential against dimethoate toxicity.KeywordsDimethoate Anabas testudineus HaematologyHistopathologyGC-MS Azadirachta indica Inhibitory effect