Biochemical Responses of African Catfish (C. gariepinus) to the Phytochemical Properties of S. occidentalis Leaf

Abstract

Background: Consumers of fish food and products have become increasingly concerned with their health and are curious about the safety of the fish they consume. Senna occidentalis has proven to be medicinal and toxic. However, the leaves of S. occidentalis are among the medicinal and poisonous plants whose toxicity on fish has yet to be studied extensively. Objective: This study examined the qualitative and quantitative phytochemical profile of S. occidentalis for the biochemical activities of Clarias gariepinus exposed to its ethanol leaf extract. Methodology: A total of one hundred and twenty (120) juveniles of C. gariepinus were acclimatised for two weeks and randomly distributed into 12 plastic tanks of 35-litre capacity. Phytochemical screening and biochemical analysis of the experimental fish were carried out. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to assess the data, and the distinction between the treatment groups was found using the least significant difference (LSD) at a 0.05 statistical level. Results: The ethanol leaf extract of S. occidentalis phytochemical analysis revealed that the plant's leaf qualitatively contained different bioactive substances such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, glycosides, and steroids. For the biochemical parameters (Total Protein, Albumin, Globulin, AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), ALT (alanine transaminase), and GGT (gammaglutamyl transferase) analyses to know the potency of S. occidentalis ethanol leaf extract on C. gariepinus juveniles, the results indicated that the Total Protein (5.6 – 5.1 g/dl) values decreased with increased concentration of S. occidentalis ethanol leaf extract. Conclusion: The findings revealed biochemical alterations and damage in the organ of C. gariepinus. The higher the S. occidentalis ethanol leaf extract concentration, the higher the observed damage. Recommendations: The study suggests the usage of another solvent and methods of extraction.