Toxicology

Biography

Biography: Syamantak Mani Tripathi

Abstract

Acephate, widely used insecticide in agriculture, is a common environmental contaminant. Although health effects of the acephate are documented, however developmental immuno toxic studies are scanty and need more attention. Medicinal plants, since times immemorial, have been used virtually in all cultures as a source of medicine for altering the immune systems. A group of medicinal plant including Apamarg (Achyranthes aspera) and Bhui Amla (Phyllanthus niruri) growing in India were examined for their immunomodulatory effect in White Leghorn cockerels. The present study was undertaken in day-old white leghorn cockerels to assess immuno toxicity for sub chronic exposure to acephate. The chicks were divided into nine groups. Groups C1 and C2 served as plain control and vehicle control respectively. Chicks of groups T1, T2 and T3 were administered acephate suspended in groundnut oil at 21.3 mg/kg, 28.4 mg/kg and 42.6 mg/kg respectively orally for up to 60 days. Chicks of groups T1+Aa, T2+Aa, T3+Aa, T1+Pn, T2+Pn and T3+Pn were administered acephate together with extract of two medicinal plants A. aspera and P. niruri extract suspended in groundnut oil at 21.3 mg/kg+Aa (1ml), 28.4 mg/kg+Aa (1ml) and 42.6 mg/kg+Aa (1ml), 21.3 mg/kg+Pn (1ml), 28.4 mg/kg+Pn (1ml) and 42.6 mg/kg+ Pn (1ml) respectively orally for 60 days. All the chicks were vaccinated with Ranikhet disease virus (F-strain; RD-F) on days 1 and 30. During the course of study and at term, parameters of cellular and humoral immunity were determined. The live body weight gain, absolute and the relative weights of spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius, antibody response to RDF, delayed type hypersensitivity response to 2,4-dinitro-1-chlorobenzene or PHA-P were significantly reduced in the medium and extremely toxic treatment groups. The ability of lymphocytes proliferation in response to antigen RD-F and mitogen Con A was also significantly suppressed following subchronic exposure to acephate. Furthermore, histopathologically, bursa and spleen showed mild depletion of lymphocytes. No significant alteration in the live body weight gain, absolute and the relative weights of spleen, thymus and bursa of Fabricius, antibody response to RDF, delayed type hypersensitivity response to 2,4-dinitro-1-chlorobenzene or PHA-P, the ability of lymphocytes proliferation in response to antigen RD-F and mitogen Con A and histopathology of bursa and spleen were observed in the birds concurrently exposed to acephate and A. aspera and P. niruri. Therefore, immuno toxicological effects should be considered when assessing the acephate risk to human and animal health. It was concluded that sub chronic acephate exposure at low concentrations may affect immune responses in avian species. Furthermore, the immuno toxicity induced by acephate could be efficiently ameliorated by A. aspera and P. niruri.