POSSIBLE RETRIEVAL OF ORGANOCHLORINE INDUCED RENAL TOXICITY IN FISH BY AQUEOUS ROOT EXTRACT OF WITHANIA SOMNIFERA: IN VIVO STUDY

The present study was aimed to assess the reno-protective impact of aqueous extract of root of Withania somnifera (WSR) commonly known as Ashwagandha against organochlorine induced renal toxicity in fish Clarias batrachus (Linn.).Fishes were exposed to 4ppb concentration of commercial brand Endocel, an organochlorine pesticide for one week and two week to prepare the toxic model. These toxic groups of fishes were further treated with aqueous root extract of Withania somnifera (WSR)@100 mg /kg body wt for four weeks. After schedule exposure, blood serum was extracted and analyzed for total protein (TP) content. Renal tissues were processed for light microscopy (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Endocel lowered TP at almost every exposure level. At LM level WSR extract treatment showed restoration of normal luminal characteristics of PCT & DCT and renal corpuscles but it failed to minimize abortive glomerulus, necrotic renal tubules with hypertrophied area, haemorrhagical clots & chronic venous congestion. At TEM level, WSR extract showed maximum retrieval in the cytoarchitecture of cuboidal epithelial cells of renal tubules and renal corpuscles. Concomitant treatment of endocel and WSR showed a very little sign of anomalies in renal tissues. A non-significant change was marked in control group when treated only with WSR extract. The serum level of TP showed a significant decline in organochlorine treated fish when compared with control. They showed a significant recovery after WSR treatment for four weeks. Concomitant treatment of endocel and WSR to the experimental group showed non-significant (at P<0.05) changes in TP. The WSR treatment alone to control group didn’t show any significant correction in lowered TP. A perfect correlation between biochemical and histopathological finding signifies the excellent restorative power of WSR extract against organochlorine induced renal toxicity in fish