Protective Properties of Milk Thistle in Aquaculture: A Study on its Role in Mitigating Supracide-Induced Stress in Fish

This investigation sought to comprehensively evaluate the protective properties of Milk Thistle seeds against Supracideinduced oxidative stress in the Marbled Spinefoot fish.Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was employed to identify metabolites present in Silybum marianum seeds.The LC50 value of organophosphorous insecticide was determined as 7.5 g L -1 through a 24-hour bath exposure.The experimental setup involved a 14-day dietary supplementation of S. marianum seeds followed by exposure to the determined Supracide LC50.Various physiological parameters, including lipid degradation, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and Total cholesterol (T.ch) levels, were measured to assess fish health and stress.Additionally, histopathological examinations were conducted on the hepatopancreas tissues of both normal and stressed fish.The obtained results indicated significant increases (P<0.05) in serum ALT and LDH activities in the group of fish exposed to the toxin.Moreover, the levels of lipid peroxidation products in hepatopancreas homogenates were significantly higher (P<0.05) in the exposed fish group, except for total cholesterol, which exhibited a significant decrease.Histological analysis further revealed notable tissue modifications in the examined organs, while the control group of fish exhibited normal appearance.Taken together, these findings suggest that Milk thistle seeds may possess protective effects against Supracide-induced oxidative stress in challenged S. rivulatus fish.As a result, this study provides valuable insights into potential alternative ameliorating agents for addressing aquaculture contamination caused by organophosphate insecticides.