Journal of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences
(ISSN: 2659 – 0743)
Volume 6, No. 1, 2024
Pages 28-42
DOI: 10.36108/jvbs/4202.60.0130
Histopathological Effects of Vitamin C and Common Salt Addition to Fish Water During Starvation in African Catfish, Clarias Gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)
Samson Eneojo Abalaka1*, Motunrayo Ojuolape Aderogba1, Nuhu Abdulazeez Sani1, Idoko Sunday Idoko1, Oremeyi Zaynab Tenuche1, Sunday Augustine Ejeh2
1Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
2 Department of Veterinary Physiology and Biochemistry, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
The natural or management induced food deprivation in fish could be beneficial or detrimental to the exposed fish. However, vitamin C and common salt are exploitable antioxidant and antistress in aquaculture. The present study evaluated the effects of either vitamin C or common salt on starvation-induced histopathological changes in the exposed fish. Group I were the negative control fish (fed and untreated), Group II were the positive control fish (starved without vitamin C and common salt in their fish water for 21 days), and Groups III and IV were treated fish (starved with vitamin C and common salt in their fish water for 21 days) after acclimatizing them for 14 days. Starvation induced several histopathological changes in the gills, liver, kidneys, and skin of the exposed fish. However, the addition of vitamin C and common salt (at 100 mg/L each) to fish water during starvation significantly (p<0.05) reduced the observed gills and skin histopathological changes with vitamin C having more effects than common salt. The degree of tissue changes (DTC) values in all the evaluated tissues were all below ten indicating no major effects based on the DTC protocol. Therefore, the addition of either vitamin C or common salt to water during starvation presented variable results in the exposed C. gariepinus, to necessitate further investigations into their administration over a much longer period, including possible administration via the feed during the period.
Keywords: Feed deprivation, Fish, water additives, histopathology.