Acta Veterinaria Eurasia
Original Article

Experimental Evaluation of the Wound-healing and Antioxidant Activities of Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) Pulp and Leaf Meal in the African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

1.

Department of Animal Production, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Kwara State University, Malete, Nigeria

2.

Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Management, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

3.

Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

4.

Department of Veterinary Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria

Acta Vet Eurasia 2018; 44: 63-72
DOI: 10.26650/actavet.2018.011
Read: 83 Downloads: 35 Published: 03 May 2018

The fruits and leaves of Tamarindus indicahave been widely used in traditional medicine for treating wounds and otherdiseases in Africa. The aim of this study was to investigate the wound-healingproperty of T. indica pulp (TP) and leaf (TL) meal and the importance ofantioxidant enzymes in the wound-healing process in the African catfish,Clarias gariepinus. Surgical incisions of 10 mm2 were made aseptically on thelateral part of the catfish, above the pelvic fin and toward the caudal region.The fish were fed experimental diets composed of basal diet fortified with eachof TP or TL at concentrations of 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, and 0.0% (untreated)and 0.2% oxytetracycline (treated) as controls in triplicate groups. Changesoccurring in the wound area (mm2) were measured at 3-day-intervals for 15 days.The healing rates and the relative percentage of healing were calculated. Seracollected from the experimental fish were analyzed for oxidative stressbiomarkers and antioxidant enzymes. The results showed that fish fed dietstreated with TP or TL had significantly faster (p<0.05) daily healing ratesat the lateral and caudal regions from the 6th to the 12th day compared withthose in the control groups. Percentage wound-healing (PWH) at the lateral andcaudal regions was significantly enhanced (p<0.05) from the 6th day in thetamarind-treated groups. The PWH reached the peak (100%) at the lateral regionon the 12th day in fish fed 0.5–2.0% of TL and 1.5%–2.0% of TP diets. Dietarytreatment with TP and TL resulted in a lower production of serummalondialdehyde and hydrogen peroxide levels, whereas the reduced glutathione,superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase levels increased. Fortifyingdiets of C. gariepinus with 1.0%–2.0% of TP and TL meal enhanced wound-healingsignificantly compared to that of natural healing and withoxytetracycline-fortified diet. The faster wound-healing rate might be aconsequence of elevated levels of serum antioxidants in the fish fedtamarind-fortified diets.

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