Histopathological changes and tissue residue concentrations of monosex Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus, L) fries exposed to oxytetracycline

The current study evaluated the biosafety of oxytetracycline (OTC) exposure for 30 days in monosex Oreochromis niloticus fries. The fries were exposed to OTC for 3 h/day for 30 days at 350 (0.5X), 700 (1X), 2100 (3X), 3500 (5X), and 7000 (10X) mg/L and compared with control (0X). The OTC exposure at 5X and 10X concentrations caused 100% mortality within 4 days and 5 min, respectively. The mortalities recorded in 0.5X, 1X, and 3X groups were 3.33 ± 1.15%, 14.67 ± 1.15%, and 47.33 ± 11.37% on day 30, respectively. The feed intake was decreased up to 23.33% in the 3X group during the exposure period. The OTC residue levels on 30-day exposure were 216.53 ± 14.71, 450.56 ± 44.31, and 1141.26 ± 63.64 μg/kg, which reduced to 40.40 ± 3.25, 76.68 ± 2.77, and 95.61 ± 5.13 μg/kg after 15 days of termination of exposure in the 0.5X, 1X, and 3X groups, respectively. The histopathological changes observed in the 1X group were epithelial detachment, desquamation of secondary lamellar epithelium, lamellar fusion, and inflamed cartilaginous core in the gills, alteration in the integrity of gut mucosa, degeneration of muscularis mucosae and necrosis in the intestine, the disintegration of the nephritic tubule, necrosis, and glomerulopathy in the kidney, and dilated vascular duct, necrotized hepatic tissue, diffused hepatic parenchyma, vacuolation, and fatty changes in the liver. The OTC exposure induced marked tissue changes histologically in a dose- and time-dependent manner, which undoubtedly reduced the growth of tilapia. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10499-022-00892-w.