Pathological and biochemical effects of pumpkin seed oil and florfenicol on Clarais species fish challenged with Aeromonas hydrophila.

The goal of the current study was to look into the immunological and histopathological effects of pumpkin seed oil against Aeromonas hydrophila in fish of the Clarias species. In the experiment, fifty fish were split equally into five groups. Group 1 (G1) normal healthy fish non-infected, and non-treated (negative control). Fish from Group 2 (G2) were inoculated intraperitoneally with 0.2 mL of 24h broth cultures of Aeromonas hydrophila and kept untreated (positive control), while fish from Groups 3, 4, and 5 (G3, G4, and G5) were inoculated intraperitoneally with 0.2 mL of 24h broth cultures of Aeromonas hydrophila (2.5 x 106 mL) and then fed on a diet supplemented with florfenicol (G3), pumpkin seed oil (40 mg/kg diet) (G4) and pumpkin seed oil plus a therapeutic dose of florfenicol (G5), respectively. The obtained results showed that the erythrocytic count, Hb concentration, and packed cell volume significantly decreased in the A. hydrophila (G2)-infected and untreated fish. The leucocytic count and lymphocytes, however, significantly increased during the two study periods (1st and 10 days post-treatment). Fish that were experimentally infected with A. hydrophila and left untreated (Group 2) demonstrated a considerable rise in glucose, T. cholesterol, TG, HDL, LDL, and VLDL levels throughout the course of the two experimental periods. In contrast, the infected group that got pumpkin seed oil just (Group 4) and pumpkin seed oil combined with florfenicol (Group 5) displayed an improvement in liver and kidney markers, glucose, and lipid profiles, as well as an elevation of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunological parameters (phagocytic ratio and index) at the two examined periods. They also displayed histopathological changes in all examined organs.