Evaluation of the ameliorative roles of Vitamins A, C and E on reduced glutathione in Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) fingerlings exposed to cadmium chloride

Effects of cadmium chloride on the production of antioxidants such as reduced glutathione (GSH) in Clarias gariepinus and how such effects can be ameliorated through administration of vitamins were investigated. C. gariepinus fingerlings were exposed to sub-lethal concentrations of Cd (00, 12mg/L, 16mg/L, 20mg/L and 24mg/L) with replicate in each case. 12mg/L each of the vitamins were administered across all bud. Fresh concentrations of both toxicant and vitamins were administered every 72 hours for a period of 12 weeks every time the water medium was changed. 3 samples of the fish were randomly selected and sacrificed from each aquarium tank every 2 weeks. The gills, kidneys and liver were excised from these specimens, homogenized in sodium phosphate buffer and then assayed for GSH production levels in each case. From the results: In Cd only group, the highest GSH level produced in the liver was 38.85±0.07µg/ml. In the liver of samples of CdVA group, the value (93.97±0.07µg/ml) increased then followed by the gill (67.72±0.13µg/ml). In CdVC, the GSH production level in the gill (39.76±0.07µg/ml) was relatively higher than livers and kidneys of the samples. In CdVE, the kidney produced the highest GSH value of 32.89±0.10µg/ml.  The elicitation and utilization of the antioxidant at one point or the other were adopted by the fish in dealing with the effects of the toxicant especially in the presence of the vitamins. Higher concentrations of the vitamins could facilitate the understanding of the effects of the vitamins in mitigating the effects of the toxicant.