Effect of Malathion Toxicity in the Freshwater Fish Ophiocephalus punctatus-A Histological and Histochemical Study

Abstract: The present study deals with the effect of some water pollutant; malathion as an insecticide on histological and histochemical study in ophicoephalus punctatus. The exposure of fish to the examined pollutants induced a disappearance of some fractions and consequently changes of relative mobility and area that indicate damage. Ophicoephalus punctatus was exposed for 7 days to Malathion at a concentration of 10, 12, 14,16,18,20 µ1/1 and 100ppm under laboratory conditions. The fish showed severe histological changes in brain, liver, ovary and tissues. The degenerative changes included hypertrophy of cells and their nuclei, liver on the whole showed distance appearance. Pycnosis, Vaculation, Necrosis, fragmentation of ova were recorded in an increasing order towards the higher tested doses. Key words: Ophicoephalus punctatus % Malathion % Histochemical study % Histoogical study INTRODUCTION it is applied, some can move to areas away from where it For centuries pesticides have been used in breaks down quickly by the action of water and bacteria agriculture to enhance food production by eradicating in the water. Malathion is broken down in air by reacting unwanted insects and controlling disease vectors [1]. with other chemicals formed naturally in the air by Among these pesticides, organophosphorus compounds sunlight to form a more toxic product called malaoxon. I