Effects of Nigella sativa oil on immune mechanisms in rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of Nigella sativa oil on serum responses in rainbow trout. Fish were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 1% and 10% doses of NSO. Serum bactericidal activity, lysozyme activity, myeloperoxidase, total protein and total immunoglobulin levels were analyzed 3, 7, 14 and 21 days after injection. The same procedure was performed in a control group. There were signif-icant changes in all immunological parameters among the treatment groups except for total protein and immunoglobulin levels. In conclusion, the present study showed that the immune parameters of rainbow trout were increased. Therefore, injection of Ni-gella sativa oil leads to a positive effect on the immune response of rainbow trout.