title: Protective role of ascorbic acid in fishes exposed to organochlorine pollution.
abstract: Protective role of ascorbic acid on the toxic effect of aldrin pollution in an air-breathing fish Channa punctatus Bloch is reported. Fishes fed with aldrin mixed diet at 0.25% showed 25% mortality in 30 days. Mortality is preceded by certain changes in peripheral blood such as polycythemia and leucocytosis with increased thrombocyte but decreased neutrophil population. However, a massive dose of ascorbic acid (500 mg/100 g diet) was found to considerably neutralize the toxic effect as evidenced by 10-fold decrease in mortality and significantly lowered haematological response. The significance of these studies in the light of physiological role of ascorbic acid as a micronutrient for protection against pollution stress is discussed.
mesh_terms: D000452:Aldrin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000633:toxicity; D000818:Animals; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004906:Erythrocyte Count; D005399:Fishes / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D000452:Aldrin; D001205:Ascorbic Acid