Natural Antioxidants can Improve Microplastics-Induced Male Reproductive Impairment in the African Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus)

Alaa El-Din H Sayed,Rania F Ismail,Mohamed Hamed

doi:10.3389/fenvs.2021.811466

Abstract

This study was conducted to explore the protective potential of three different antioxidant supplements, lycopene, citric acid, andChlorella, against reproductive injuries induced by microplastics (MPs) in freshwater mature male catfish. A total of 150 mature male African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) were assigned to five treatment groups as follows: control group fish were fed with control diet, the second group fish were fed with 500 mg/kg MP diet, and the remaining three groups of fish were fed with 500 mg/kg MP diet plus lycopene (500 mg/kg diet), citric acid (30 g/kg diet), andChlorella(50 g/kg diet), respectively, for 15 days. Ingestion of MPs significantly decreased serum luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, sex steroid (testosterone and estradiol) levels and sperm count, spermatocrit, motility, and viability. It also induced histological alterations and degenerative changes in testicular tissues. Administration of lycopene andChlorellawith MP diets maintained hormone levels comparable to those in the control group, enhanced sperm quality, and decreased testicular histological damage.Chlorellawas more effective in enhancing sperm quality, and lycopene was more efficient in alleviating testicular tissue damage. Citric acid supplementation was irrelevant in mitigating MP-induced injury. This study indicated that both lycopene andChlorellaameliorated the MP-induced reproductive dysfunction by improving reproductive hormonal levels, sperm parameters, and histological configuration, whereas the citric acid dose used in this study was not effective in ameliorating the MP-induced reproductive stress. Additional research and monitoring of MP-induced pollution in freshwater ecosystems are required to avoid the severity of reproductive toxicity in freshwater fish.

Highlights

Plastic is a global environmental pollutant whose levels have grown rapidly due to developments in plastic manufacturing (Vijver et al, 2020)
During the experimental period fish groups were feed the same commercial feed for the control or commercial diet combined with the different tested supplement and/or MPs dose for experimental groups as following: The first group was the control group that was fed with the control diet, the second group (MPs) was fed with a diet containing MPs (500 mg/kg diet), the third group (MPs + lyco) was exposed to MPs (500 mg/kg diet) + lycopene (500 mg/kg diet), the fourth group (MPs + citr) was fed with a diet containing MPs (500 mg/kg diet) + citric acid (30 g/kg diet), and the fifth group (MPs + chl) was fed with a diet containing MPs (500 mg/kg diet) + Chlorella (50 g/kg diet)
Comparison of results showed that the citr and MP groups had comparable data and recorded less sperm quality compared with other groups

Summary

Introduction

Plastic is a global environmental pollutant whose levels have grown rapidly due to developments in plastic manufacturing (Vijver et al, 2020). Due to the widespread dissemination of MPs in the environment, they are gulped by fish, bivalves, and other aquatic organisms (Lusher et al, 2015; Nadal et al, 2016). Recent researches have described that MPs prompt oxidative stress and apply adverse effects on the antioxidant defense systems of some studied invertebrates (Jeong et al, 2017; Yu et al, 2018). In some studied fish MPs can amend antioxidant biomarkers and induce lipid peroxidation as described for; zebrafish (Danio rerio) (Qiao et al, 2019; Wan et al, 2019), red tilapia (Oreochromis sp.) (Ding et al, 2018), sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) (Choi et al, 2018), and for Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) as well (Hamed et al, 2019; Ismail et al, 2021). Mps prompting oxidative stress and lipid destruction in brains of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) (Barboza et al, 2018)

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Conclusion