Diet Supplemented With Purslane, Portulaca oleracea Linnaeus, 1753 Resolves Bisphenol A Impact on North African Catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822)

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the most widely used synthetic compounds in the world. Since BPA is a suspected xenoestrogen and oxidative stressful agent, its potential hazardous impacts were evaluated on the health and the reproductive status of the male North African catfish, Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822). Ninety mature male North African catfish were divided into six groups (in three replicates); Group 1 & Group 4 fed basal diet (control), Group 2 & Group 5 diets supplemented with 3 % purslane, Portulaca oleracea Linnaeus, 1753 powder, and Group 3 & Group 6 diets supplemented with 5 % purslane powder. Group 4, Group 5, and Group 6 were exposed to 50 µg.L-1 BPA for 14 days. Group 4 showed a significant increase in the luteinising hormone, 17β estradiol, and malondialdehyde levels, with a decrease in the testosterone, superoxide dismutase, and catalase concentrations. Simultaneously, there were elevated liver and kidney markers with severe degenerative changes in the testes, liver, and kidney. Dietary supplementation of purslane powder returned the measured parameters to their normal values with the correction of the tissue architectures and details. Interestingly, purslane in the non-BPA treated groups raised the testosterone and 17β estradiol over the control values. It is suggested that purslane could be used in aquaculture and cultivated near polluted water areas.