MODULATORY ROLE OF WITHENIA SOMNIFERA ROOT EXTRACT MIXED PELLETED FEED ON PESTICIDE INDUCED HEPATIC ANOMALIES’ IN FRESH WATER CATFISH CLARIAS BATRACHUS (LINN.)

The pharmacological activity of Withenia somnifera commonly called Ashwagandha, a herb having multi-medicinal properties, was investigated   against carbofuran exposed hepatic anomalies in the air breathing fish Clarias batrachus. Fishes were exposed to 1 mg/L carbofuran for three weeks to induce the toxic effects. These fishes were then fed with Withenia somnifera root extract mixed pelleted feed @ 10% of the total feed ingredients for the next 6^th and 8^th week respectively. The histopathological examination of hepatic tissues was done on light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Major changes attributed to the  hepatic cells after carbofuran treatment showed irregular shape of hepatic cells, increased sinusoidal spaces,  rough endoplasmic reticulum, secretary granules, dilated mitochondrial cristae and presence of kupffer cells. Amoeboid nucleus with increased heterochromatin material, granular nucleoplasm and enlargement of nucleolus, were some of the prominent histopathological alteration in the liver tissue after carbofuran toxicity at transmission electron microscope (TEM) level. The histopathological examination of liver cell of carbofuran exposed fish followed by administration of W.somnifera root extract mixed pelleted feed showed marked restoration of hepatic cell towards normalcy, maintaining nearly uniform shape with decrease in vacuolization, sinusoidal spaces and increased granulations. Aggregation of polyribosome, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria and Golgi body were distinctly visible in the hepatoplasm. Nucleus with uniform nuclear membrane, nucleolus and increased euchromatin material showed reliable sign of retrieving towards the normalacy. It can be concluded that WSR extracts promote the modulatory activity against carbofuran induced hepatic anomalies in fish.