Genotoxicity Assessment in Freshwater African Catfish Clarias gariepinus Exposed to Local GIN ‘OGOGORO’

Ogogoro is deeply intertwined with Nigerian culture and traditions, often consumed during social gatherings, celebrations, and rituals. This traditional drink is produced by fermenting palm wine and subsequently distilling the fermented liquid. While Ogogoro plays a vital role in social cohesion and cultural identity, the potential health risks posed by its consumption warrant scientific scrutiny, hence the need to examine the potential genotoxic effects. This study seeks to examine the acute toxicity 96 h LC50 of Ogogoro using African catfish Clarias gariepinus; determine the cytogenotoxic effect of the sub-lethal concentration in the peripheral erythrocytes of C. gariepinus using micronucleus assay. High mortality and damage to the body morphology of the experimental animals were recorded during the acute toxicity testing. Exposure of C. gariepinus to sub-lethal concentrations of local gin resulted in a dose-dependent and significant (P<0.05) increase in the formation of micronuclei and nuclear anomalies in peripheral erythrocytes. The results obtained from this study indicate the local gin induction into C. gariepinus have genotoxic potential and is capable of causing significant ecological disruption of the DNA population and also, indicate that exposure to Ogogoro induces genotoxic effects in Clarias gariepinus, as evidenced by a dose-dependent increase in nuclear abnormalities in erythrocytes.