Abstract
The aquaculture use of antibiotics can cause detrimental effects on fish organs and gut microbial dysbiosis. The impact of florfenicol (FFC) on fish intestinal histology, an approved antibiotic, remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of FFC on Oreochromis niloticus juveniles by administering FFC at 10 mg and 30 mg/kg biomass/day for 30 consecutive days to mimic long-term use. A dose-dependent reduction in feed intake, survival and biomass, with an upsurge in mortalities was observed. Even the therapeutic dose instigated mortalities on day 30 of FFC dosing (FD). Histopathological analysis revealed mild to moderate alterations, including loss of absorptive regions, epithelial degeneration, necrotized areas, intercellular enterocytic space and swollen laminar propria. Post-dosing, the observation of the detachment of lamina propria from the epithelium indicated imminent irritability. Goblet cells reduced drastically on day 30 FD, accompanied by an increase in intraepithelial lymphocytes. However, cessation of dosing for 13 days resulted in the reclamation of goblet cells and absorptive regions, indicating that the intestinal tissues underwent considerable repair after lifting antibiotic pressure. These findings suggested that O. niloticus can tolerate dietary FFC but emphasize the need for responsible use of antibiotics in aquaculture.
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Acknowledgements
The work was supported by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Government of India, New Delhi under the All-India Network Project on Fish Health (Grant F. No. CIBA/AINP-FH/2015-16 dated 02.06.2015).
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Ethical Statement
The current investigations were performed in compliance with the guidelines for experimentation on fishes set by the Committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA), Government of India. The experimental protocols were approved by the ICAR, Government of India, New Delhi, under the All-India Network Project on Fish Health (No. CIBA/AINP-FH/2015-16 dated 16.7.2015).
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Bardhan, A., Abraham, T.J., Dash, G. et al. Intestinal Histopathological Aberrations in Oreochromis niloticus Juveniles upon Dietary Florfenicol Administration. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 112, 50 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-024-03876-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-024-03876-z