Malachite green (triarylmethane dye) and pyceze (bronopol) induced histopathological and biochemical changes in the liver of stinging catfish Heteropneustes fossilis (Bloch, 1794)

Abstract

Malachite green is one of the most widely used therapeutant and disinfectant in aquaculture. Pyceze is a pharmaceutical alternative to malachite green with bronopol as its active ingredient. The present study evaluated the effect of malachite green and pyceze on liver histology and selected biochemical parameters indicating liver function in Heteropneustes fossilis. Fishes were exposed to sublethal doses of malachite green and pyceze and the biochemical parameters viz., serum bilirubin, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transminase (SGOT) and serum glutamic pyruvic transminase (SGPT) were estimated. After 24 and 96 h exposure, tissue samples of liver were fixed for histological studies. The level of serum bilirubin, SGOT and SGPT increased significantly after 24 and 96 h of exposure to both malachite green and pyceze. Hepatocytes of liver exposed to both malachite green and pyceze were irregularly shaped, with vacuolated cytoplasm, enlarged nucleus and ruptured cell membrane. However, these symptoms were more prominent in the liver tissues of fish exposed to malachite green than those exposed to pyceze. The present study clearly indicated that the detrimental effects are less pronounced in case of pyceze exposure than that of malachite green exposure. Thus, pyceze can be considered as a relatively safe alternative to malachite green as a therapeutant in aquaculture.