Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of arsenic on erythrocytes of Oryzias latipes: Bioremediation using Spirulina platensis

Background: Exposure to the environmental pollutants poses a serious threat to aquatic organism. The arsenic exposure in fish increases the risk of developing serious alterations from embryo to adult.

Objectives: The present investigation was done to study the toxic effects of heavy metal arsenic [As(III)] on medaka (Oryzias latipes). Morphological alterations, apoptosis, nuclear abnormalities, and genotoxic biomarkers in erythrocytes were used to determine the stress caused by arsenic (As) exposure.

Methods: Medaka was exposed to As for 15 days at two toxic sublethal concentrations (7 ppm and 10 ppm) in combination with Spirulina platensis (SP) treatment as antioxidant algae at 200 mg/L.

Results: Results were consistent with a previous study results on tilapia. Exposure of medaka to As resulted in a dose-dependent increase in most the biomarkers used in the current study. Fish exposed to10 ppm As showed highest level of DNA damage. For the first time to our knowledge, using SP to counter the As toxicity in medaka, DNA damage restored to control levels.

Conclusion: Accordingly, those results suggests that SP can protect medaka in aquaculture against As-induced damage by its ability as reactive oxygen species (ROS) reducer, antioxidant role, and DNA damage scavenger.