ABSTRACT
The present investigation deals with the study of the effect of three concentrations [2.5, 5 and 10 mg/l] of the herbicide, 2, 4- dichlorophenoxyacetic acid [2, 4-D] on the cells with micronuclei in kidney of the bony fish Clarias gariepinus. It also deals with the study of the effect of 5 and 10 mg/l of 2, 4-D on blood serum protein fractions using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The occurrence of cells with micronuclei in kidney was increased in a doseand time-dependence. The frequency of cells with micronuclei in kidney reached a maximum level after three days of treatment with different doses of the herbicide. The protein electrophoretic pattern of the control fish showed 30 fractionated bands. The results revealed that even at low concentrations, the changes in the protein profile were dramatically noticeable. These were in the form of adding new protein bands as well as changing the intensity of certain protein bands. In conclusion, the findings reported here offer further support to the genotoxic nature of 2, 4-D