Effect of African Oil Bean Seed Powder on the Behaviour and Haematological Profile of Juveniles Catfish (Clarias Gariepinus)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51459/jostir.2026.2.Special-Issue-1.0284Keywords:
Toxicity, Pentaclethra macrophylla seed powder, Haematology, Behaviour, Clarias gariepinusAbstract
The effects of Pentaclethra macrophylla seed powder at different concentrations on behavioural, physicochemical, and haematological parameters of juvenile Clarias gariepinus were evaluated under laboratory conditions. Changes in water quality parameters were not significant and were within levels tolerable by C. gariepinus. A 96-hour acute toxicity bioassay was conducted using six triplicated treatments: control (0.0 mg/L), 0.40 mg/L, 0.50 mg/L, 0.60 mg/L, 0.70 mg/L, and 0.80 mg/L. Catfish juveniles exposed to varying concentrations of the seed powder exhibited behavioural changes including loss of reflex, barbel deformation, erratic swimming, and air gulping, eventually leading to mortality. Haematological examination revealed significant increases in packed cell volume (PCV), red blood cells (RBC), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), hemoglobin (Hb), and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), while white blood cells (WBC), granulocytes and lymphocytes decreased. The increase in some haematological indices may represent a compensatory response to the toxic effects of P. macrophylla seed powder. These results indicate that P. macrophylla seed powder may cause both immediate and long-term adverse effects on the health of juvenile C. gariepinus and should be kept away from aquatic environments.
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