Ameliorating Nickel-Induced Stress in Hypophthalmichthys molitrix (Silver Carp) Through Piper nigrum Extract Supplementation
Shah S.M.F.A. Hussain S.M. Ali S. Sarker P.K. Al-Ghanim K.A. Dilara S.
October 2025Springer
Biological Trace Element Research
2025#203Issue 105359 - 5369 pp.
The current study examined the damaging implications of nickel (Ni) toxicity on body composition, growth responses, histology and hematology of Hypophthalmichthys molitrix, as well as the potential mitigating effects of Piper nigrum extract. For this purpose, H. molitrix were distributed into six groups, namely T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6. All treatments were assessed in triplicates. T1 was designated as the negative control treatment, receiving no Ni exposure or dietary supplementation, whereas T2 acted as the positive control treatment, exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of nickel chloride (NiCl2) at 3.6 mg/L. Groups T3-T6 received diets enriched with 1%, 2%, 3% and 4% P. nigrum extract, respectively and were also exposed to 3.6 mgL−1 NiCl2 toxicity. The findings of this investigation revealed that T2 exhibited decreased growth responses, characterized by a weight gain (WG) of 8.12 g, percentage weight gain (WG%) of 77.83% and specific growth rate (SGR) of 0.96. Additionally, T2 displayed altered hematological parameters such as reduced red blood cells (RBC: 1.3 × 106 mm−3) and hemoglobin levels (Hb: 5.8 g/100 ml), and increased white blood cell counts (WBC: 75.31 × 103 mm−3). Also, T2 showed reduced protein (13.14%), fat (2.15%), and moisture content (73.44%), hepatocyte degeneration, and Ni bioaccumulation in hepatic tissues. In contrast, T1 (control negative) and T3 (1% P. nigrum extract) demonstrated improved growth performance with WG of 18.49 g and 16.92 g, respectively. They also showed increased RBC (1.77 × 106 mm−3 and 2.77 × 106 mm−3) and Hb levels (9.65 g/100 ml and 8.15 g/100 ml), decreased WBC counts (6.12 × 103 mm−3 and 7.79 × 103 mm−3), and elevated protein (16.42% and 15.29%), fat (3.22% and 3.11%), and moisture content (76.92% and 76.6%), respectively. Furthermore, liver histological analysis revealed that dietary supplementation with 1% P. nigrum extract (T3) effectively minimized the adverse effects of NiCl2 toxicity, characterized by a normal central vein structure and significantly reduced histological damage. In conclusion, the results show that 1% P. nigrum extract supplementation significantly ameliorates the adverse effects on carcass composition, elevates growth responses, enhances hematological indices, and mitigates the toxic effects of Ni on the histology of H. molitrix. This comprehensive improvement in nutritional quality, growth rates, blood health, and tissue integrity suggests that P. nigrum extract has tremendous potential as a natural remedy for mitigating the adverse effects of Ni toxicity in aquatic species.
Growth performance , Hematology , Histology , Hypophthalmichthys molitrix , Nickel , Piper nigrum
Text of the article Перейти на текст статьи
Fish Nutrition Lab, Department of Zoology, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
Department of Environmental Sciences, Government College University Faisalabad, Faisalabad, 38000, Pakistan
Department of Biological Sciences and Technology, China Medical University, Taichung, 40402, China
Environmental Studies Department, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, 95060, CA, United States
Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, 11451, Saudi Arabia
Faculty of Sciences, Department of Ecology and Chemistry, Khoja Akhmet Yassawi International Kazakh-Turkish University, Central Campus, Turkestan, Kazakhstan
Fish Nutrition Lab
Department of Environmental Sciences
Department of Biological Sciences and Technology
Environmental Studies Department
Department of Zoology
Faculty of Sciences
10 лет помогаем публиковать статьи Международный издатель
Книга Публикация научной статьи Волощук 2026 Book Publication of a scientific article 2026