Characterization of serum immunoglobulin in channa striata (BLOCH) and kinetics of its response to Aeromonas hydrophila antigen.

The immunoglobulin (Ig) from the serum of Channa striata was isolated by gel electroelution and characterized further to understand its nature and subsequent applications in studying the immune response. The purity of the sample was confirmed with the presence of a single band on native gradient PAGE and the molecular weight of âˆ¼897 kDa was determined from the gel. In SDS-PAGE, C. striata Ig was reduced to produce two bands corresponding to H (heavy) (∼72 kDa) and L (light) (∼27 kDa) chain subunits. Polyclonal antiserum against the purified Ig was raised in a rabbit and adsorbed with 10% liver tissue homogenate of C. striata to enhance its specificity. By an indirect ELISA standardized using the adsorbed rabbit antiserum, the normal serum Ig concentration in C. striata was estimated to be 3.48 mg/mL. Further, a kinetic study of specific immunoglobulin response to formalin-killed Aeromonas hydrophila antigen was undertaken using another indirect ELISA, which showed a significant increase in serum immunoglobulin titer from day 2 onwards and reached its peak at day 14. Subsequently, the Ig titer was dropped from day 21 onwards till the completion of the experiment at day 42, although it was at a significantly higher level than the control.

Efficacy of two avermectins, doramectin and ivermectin against Argulus siamensis infestation in Indian major carp, Labeo rohita.

The efficacy of two avermectins, doramectin and ivermectin via oral and parenteral routes and their prophylactic effects against Argulus siamensis infestation in Indian major carp, Labeo rohita was studied. Doramectin and ivermectin were fed once to L. rohita sub-adults naturally infested with A. siamensis parasites at graded levels of 1000, 750 and 500 µg/kg body weight and 500, 300 and 200 µg/kg body weight, respectively. The mean time of clearance of parasites was 24 ± 0.149 h for 1000 and 24 ± 0.210 h for 750 µg of doramectin/kg body weight fish, however, the dose of 1,000 µg resulted in adverse reactions and mortality in fish. A single dose of 500µg/kg body weight of ivermectin also cleared the infestation in 24 ± 0.258 h. In second experiment, L. rohita naturally infested with A. siamensis were administered with doramectin and ivermectin intramuscularly as single dose of 200, 150 and 100 µg/kg body weight. Both doramectin and ivermectin at 200 µg/kg body weight cleared the infestation in 4 ± 0.149 and 4 ± 0.258 h respectively, however, those resulted in adverse reactions viz., black pigmentation, lethargy and poor appetite in fish. The mean time of clearance of parasites from fish was 6 ± 0.210 and 12 ± 0.314 h for doramectin and ivermectin, respectively, when given at a lower dose of 150 µg/kg body weight. The prophylactic effects of both drugs were also evaluated by challenging naïve rohu with metanaupliar larvae of A. siamensis after feeding the fish single dose of the doramectin and ivermectin at 750 and 500 µg/kg body weight, respectively. The effects of both the drugs were found to last for 17-18 days. The effects of bath treatment with doramectin and ivermectin at different concentrations on adult A. siamensis and metanaupliar larvae of A. siamensis were also evaluated. The results suggested that ivermectin could act more rapidly compared to doramectin. However, detailed studies on the toxicity and pharmacokinetics of doramectin and ivermectin upon their administration to aquatic organisms and the environmental impacts of their usage are required to be undertaken before finally recommending the safe use of these drugs for control of parasitic infections.

PCR based detection of furadan genotoxicity effects in rohu (Labeo rohita) fingerlings.

The present study involves the use of RAPD-PCR to evaluate the genotoxic effects of furadan in the DNA of Labeo rohita (rohu) fingerlings. Rohu fingerlings were exposed to 0.02 ppm of furadan for a total period of 96 h and samplings were done at 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. RAPD - PCR were carried out with the blood and liver DNA samples of both control and treated groups at each of the four sampling hours. A total of six selected RAPD primers were used for PCR amplification. Template stability has been taken as the measure of DNA damage caused by pesticide. The results obtained showed no significant difference in the template stability in the blood DNA of furadan treated groups at any of the four sampling hours; however, the liver DNA were able to show significant difference at 48 and 96 hours of treatment.