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Frontiers in Marine Science
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Abstract: |
The present study assessed the impact of Panax ginseng essential oil (GEO)
supplementation on physiological parameters related to productive performance and
health status in Nile tilapia reared under standard conditions and exposed to a sub-lethal
atrazine (ATZ) concentration. Fish were allocated into 6 groups: the control group was
reared in clean water and fed with a commercial basal diet (CNT), two groups were fed
with the basal diet supplemented with two different levels of GEO (GEO1 and GEO2,
respectively), one group was intoxicated with 1/5 of ATZ 96-h lethal concentration 50
(1.39 mg/L) (ATZ group), and the remaining two groups were fed with the GEOsupplemented
diets and concurrently exposed to 1.39 mg ATZ/L (GEO1+ATZ and
GEO2+ATZ, respectively). The experiment lasted for 60 days. GEO supplementation
exerted a significantly positive influence on fish growth, feed utilization, and hepatic
antioxidant defense systems at both levels of supplementation. ATZ exposure significantly
reduced fish survival rates and impaired fish growth and feed utilization, with the lowest
final weights, weight gain, total feed intake, and the highest feed conversion ratio being
recorded in the ATZ-intoxicated group. ATZ exposure caused significant changes in
intestinal digestive enzyme activity (decreased lipase activity), hematological indices
(decreased hemoglobin, packed cell volume, erythrocytes, and leukocytes), blood
biochemical variables (decreased total proteins, albumin, globulins, and immunoglobulin
M; increased total cholesterol, triglycerides, and cortisol), and hepatic oxidative/
antioxidant indices (decreased glutathione level, superoxide dismutase and catalase
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