Acute Toxicity Effect of Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate on Hematological Indices of African Catfish Clarias Gariepinus

Student: Sopuruchi Glory Onukagha (Project, 2025)
Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture
Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State

Abstract

Hydroxychloroquine sulphate is a synthetic 4-aminoquinolines widely used in the prophylaxis and treatment of malaria, lupus erythematous, amoebiasis, Q fever, photosensitive diseases and rheumatoid arthritis. Acute hematological toxicity of HCQ to C. gariepinus juveniles were assessed under static conditions at concentrations of 30 to 45 mg L-1 for up to 4 days. The 96 h LC50 value of HCQ determined by probit analysis was 43.23 mg/L which demonstrated that C. gariepinus juveniles were sensitive to HCQ. Exposure of C. gariepinus to HCQ led to reduction in water quality which elicited a concentrated-dependent mortality in the exposed group. HCQ sulphate resulted in an increase in the values of white blood cell (WBC), reduction in red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), and packed cell volume (PCV) when compared to the control. There were no significant difference in the values of the mean corpuscular volume (MCV) mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) when compared to the control. The observed changes in the present study demonstrate that HCQ is toxic to fish and its use should be monitored in the aquatic environment.

Keywords
acute toxicity hydroxychloroquine sulphate hematology catfish
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