Blood Characteristics and Tissue Histology of Oreochromis niloticus Fed Ipomoea batatas Leaf

Abstract

Clinical hematology and tissue histoarchitecture are prognostic indicators of pathological conditions in fish. Using Oreochromis niloticus, a 12-week feeding experiment assessed the hematology and histopathology of ammonia-exposed tissues of gills, kidney and liver. Four treatments were used in the experiment. Fish in the control group was fed the practical diet (T1), while others received diet supplemented with Ipomoea batatas in powder (T2), hot water extract (T3), and crude extract (T4). Hematological profiling was conducted for 12 weeks. Results indicated significant differences at week 6 in neutrophils and lymphocytes, at week 8 in erythrocytes, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and platelets, and at week 12 in hemoglobin (P<0.05). Liver of T1 and T4 illustrated histoarchitecture at normal limits, while erythrocyte infiltration and vacuolation of hepatocytes were observed in T2 and T3. All groups fed I. batatas-supplemented diets showed beneficial effect on the kidney as evidenced by notable decrease in the melanomacrophages. Gill tissues displayed no prominent signs of improvement against widespread infiltration of inflammatory cells in both primary and secondary lamella. The results of the present study demonstrated that incorporation of crude extracts of I. batatas can boost early enhancement of lymphocyte and neutrophil production and improve ammonia-induced kidney and liver histopathology.