Abstract
Intensive fish cultivation has a high incidence of infection, which is often controlled by administering antibiotics. Florfenicol (FF) is one of the two antimicrobial drugs permitted for aquaculture in Brazil. Due to their intensive use, potentially harmful effects on aquatic organisms are of great concern. In this sense, we investigated whether the presence of FF in cultivation water could change the health parameters of Nile tilapia. For this, we evaluated hemoglobin, hematocrit, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCHC) concentration, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), total plasma protein (TPP), number of circulating red blood cells and leukocytes, as lipid peroxidation levels, catalase activity and glutathione S-transferase activity of fish exposed to 11.72 mg L−1 of FF in water for 48 h. The fish were divided into two groups: Nile tilapia in water with FF or without FF (control). Exposure to FF in cultivation water for a short period didn't change the hematological variables analyzed, but caused changes in liver ROS (Reactive oxygen species) markers of the Nile tilapia, which was revealed by lipid peroxidation levels, catalase activity, and glutathione S-transferase. The 48h exposure period was enough to induce oxidative stress in hepatocytes, causing cellular oxidative damage. Therefore, the antibiotic florfenicol may cause toxicity to organisms and aquatic ecosystems, even at a sublethal concentrations near 1/100 LC50-48h for fish species.
Highlights
According to the FAO, aquaculture has grown at an annual average rate of 5.3% over the past 10 years (FAO, 2020)
We investigated whether the presence of the veterinary antibiotic Florfenicol in cultivation water could induce changes in the health parameters of Nile tilapia
The results found indicate that Nile tilapia exposed to florfenicol at a concentration of 11.72 mg LÀ1 for 48 h is bioaccumulated in tissues, did not show changes in hematological parameters, but caused oxidative cell damage
Summary
According to the FAO, aquaculture has grown at an annual average rate of 5.3% over the past 10 years (FAO, 2020) This has occurred because fish are important sources of protein and are rich in vitamins and omega-3s (Jackson et al, 2019). Tilapia is the most produced fish in Brazil, corresponding to over half of the country's production with great economic interest (Jonsson et al, 2019; Piscicultura, 2018), and representing 8.3% of the total world fish production, following carp fishes only (FAO, 2020). Florfenicol has been used in Brazil since 2007 (Orlando et al, 2016) and is one of the most widely used in aquaculture throughout the world (Norambuena et al, 2013)
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