Vol. 8, Issue 6 (2019)

Author(s):
Ankita Bhandari, Raja Aadil Hussain Bhat, RS Tandel, Pragyan Dash, Tarang K Shah, Parvaiz Ahmad Ganie and Debajit Sarma

Abstract:
Myrica esculenta commonly known as ‘Kaphal’ is regarded as an important Indian medicinal plant which possesses various pharmacological activities like antimicrobial, antiallergic, and anxiolytic. It is found in foothill tracks of the eastern Himalayas including India, Meghalaya, Nepal, China and Pakistan. Local tribes use this plant for the treatment of cough, asthma, fever, inflammation. There is no report of acute toxicity of Myrica esculenta in fish. The present study aimed to determine the 96 hrs LC₅₀ (Lethal Concentration) of ethanol-based crude leaf extract of Myrica esculenta on the fry of Oncorhynchus mykiss. The fishes were distributed in seven treatment groups with each group containing 20 fishes of average weight 1.1 ± 0.05 grams and length 5 ± 0.1 cm. The different treatment concentration T1 (150 mg lˉ¹.), T2 (175 mg lˉ¹.): T3 (200 mg lˉ¹.), T4 (225 mg lˉ¹.), T5(250 mg lˉ¹.), T6 (275 mg lˉ¹.), T7 (300 mg lˉ¹.) were given to fish through immersion as described in OECD guidelines. The 96 hrs LC₅₀ of the ethanolic extract against Oncorhynchus mykiss was found to be 199.52 mg lˉ¹. In the present study, the behavioural response of the fish was also recorded. The fish exhibited the jumping movement and asphyxiation in concentrations above than 175mg lˉ¹.