AMELIORATIVE POTENTIAL OF AN ANTIOXIDANT ON BLOOD PARAMETERS OF CLARIAS GARIEPINUS FED DIETS CONTAMINATED WITH FUMONISIN B

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the ameliorative potential of an antioxidant, vitamin C, against the impact of diets contaminated with varied levels of fumonisin B, (FB,), a mycotoxin produced by Fusarium verticillioides, on haematology and serum biochemical constituents of Clarias gariepinus in a 12-week feeding experiment. Extracted FB, were added to six diets at the rate of approximately 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mg FB//kg constituting diets 2, 3, and 4 respec:’-ly and the other three diets constituting diets 5, 6, and 7 containing the same varied dietary concentrauons of FB, with 0.6g of vitamin C i.e., 2.5mg FB/kg + 0.6g vitamin C, 5.0mg FB/kg + 0.6g vitamin C and 7.5mg FB,/kg + 0.6g vitamin C, respectively. Diet 1, which served as the control, had no FB,. Generally, ssignificant (P<0.05) decrease in PCV, RBC, and Hb values were observed in C. gariepinus fed diet 4 compared to those on the control diet, but significantly (P<0. 05) increased in those fed diets supplemented with vitamin C (diets 5, 6 and 7). The WBC counts of the fish increased with increase in the concentrations of FB1 in the diets. The total serum protein values of the fish fed diets 4, 6 and 7 containing 2 5.0 mg FB,/kg with or without the antioxidant were lower compared to those on other diets. The study revealed the mitigating effect of vitamin C against the negative impact of fumonisin B,on blood parameters of C. gariepinus and the potentials of the antioxidant to ameliorate the impact of the toxin on blood parameters of the fish decreased with increase in the dietary FB, concentrations.