Ameliorative Potential of Vitamins on Haematological and Biochemical Profiles of Clarias gariepinus Fed Diets Contaminated with Fumonisin B1

This study examined ameliorative impact of antioxidants –vitamins C and E on blood profile of Clarias gariepinus fed diets contaminated with varied levels of fumonisin B1 (FB1). Fusarium cultured maize containing FB1 was used to formulate diets containing approximately 2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 mg FB1/kg constituting diets 2, 3, and 4, respectively and other nine diets constituting diets 5-13 with the same varied dietary FB1 concentrations but supplemented with 0.6g of vitamin C or E or vitamins C and E. These 12 diets and a control diet were used in 12-week feeding trial. Significant decrease (P 0.05) in PCV, RBC, Hb and platelet values were observed in C. gariepinus fed diet containing 7.5 mg FB1/kg compared to those on the control diet, but significantly increased (P 0.05) in those fed diets supplemented with vitamin C or E. The WBC counts of fish fed diets containing 5.0 and 7.5 mg FB1/kg were significantly higher (P 0.05) than those fed the control diet. The serum total protein of fish fed diet containing 2.5 mg FB1/kg supplemented with vitamins C and E was significantly higher (P 0.05) than of those fed other diets containing higher concentrations of FB1 supplemented with vitamins. The serum enzymes of C. gariepinus decreased with increase in the concentrations of the mycotoxin. Supplementation of FB1- contaminated diets of C. gariepinus with vitamins ameliorated the adverse effect of FB1 on most blood parameters in the fish through mitigation of FB1-evoked toxicity by free radicals.