Induction of Micronuclei and Erythrocytic Nuclear Abnormalities in Peripheral Blood of Fish Cyprinus carpio on Exposure to Karanjin

Background: We have come across the plant secondary metabolites having pesticidal properties being used in the form of pesticides. In this study, we used one of newly available and plant metabolite used as pesticide in wide agricultural fields – Karanjin, obtained from seeds of plant Pongamia pinnata. Methods: The study was conducted during the month of March 2016 at the Department of Zoology, Osmania University. The fish common carp- Cyprinus carpio was exposed to sub-lethal concentration of karanjin i.e., 1/10th of 96 h LC50 value (0.28 ppm) for a period of 21 d. Moreover, at 24 h, 7 d, 14 d and 21 d, the peripheral blood of both control and exposed group fishes were studied for the presences of micronuclei and other nuclear abnormalities. Results: The micronuclei were completely absent, i.e., were not seen during the sub-lethal exposure period. There were seen nuclear abnormalities such as blebbed nuclei (BN), notched nuclei (NN), differently shaped nuclei (DSN), pear-shaped nuclei (PSN), circular nuclei (CN), lobed nuclei (LN) and Karyolysed nuclei (KN). The control group showed few nuclear abnormalities. Conclusion: During the sub-lethal exposure, as the days of exposure increased, the types of aberrations and their number also increased.