Effect of herbicide (primextra) on tissue cholesterol level in Clarias Gariepinus juvenile

Juvenile Clarias gariepinus were exposed to sub lethal concentrations (0.04, 0.06 and 0.10μg/L) of primextra for 21 days in a static renewal bioassay system. The changes in the tissue cholesterol concentrations were determined every seven days. The result showed that primextra had adverse effect on the tissue cholesterol levels in C. gariepinus. When compared with the control, the liver and muscle cholesterol concentrations were significantly (P>0.05) elevated due to primextra exposure. However, the kidney cholesterol levels in the primextra-exposed fish were lower (P > 0.05) than the control. The cholesterol concentrations in the treatment groups were also different (P<0.05).Generally, the liver and muscle cholesterol concentrations increased with duration of exposure. The induction of hypercholesterolemia in both the muscle and the liver and hypocholesterolemia in the kidney of the treated fish are indications of dysfunctional lipid physiological processes occurring in the fish due primextra exposure.Keyword: Primextra, Clarias gariepinus, Cholesterol, Kidney, LiverAnimal Research International (2012) 9(1): 1524 – 152