Assessment of Haemato-Toxicity Induced by Chemical and Biological Pesticides in GrainFed Male Wistar Rats

Abstract

Haemato-toxicity, characterized by alterations in hematological profiles, poses significant health risks, mainly due to the widespread use of pesticides in agriculture. This research is driven by the need to understand the comparative toxicological effects on various haematological parameters. This study investigated the haematological effects of chemical (organophosphate) and biological pesticides in Wistar rats. Thirty-five Wistar rats were divided into seven groups and fed grains treated with either bio-pesticides or chemical pesticides for ten days. Blood samples were collected and analyzed to measure changes in key haematological parameters. The results indicate that chemical and biological pesticides did not significantly alter Packed Cell Volume (PCV) or haemoglobin levels, with all treated groups showing values comparable to the control group. However, there was a mild reduction in Red Blood Cell (RBC) count, particularly in the groups treated with fungi-based biopesticides, suggesting a potential impact on erythropoiesis or RBC integrity. Specifically, the fungi pesticide rice group showed a reduction of approximately 9.32% in RBC count compared to the control group. Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH) showed slight increases in chemical pesticide-treated groups, indicating mild macrocytosis and elevated haemoglobin content. For instance, the chemical pesticide rice group exhibited a 4.76% increase in MCV, and a 4.58% increase in MCH compared to the control. In contrast, fungi-based biopesticide groups had MCV values closer to the control, suggesting less impact on RBC size. Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) values remained broadly consistent across all groups, with changes of less than 0.03%, demonstrating that pesticide exposure did not significantly alter haemoglobin concentration within the red blood cells. Overall, the findings suggest that both chemical and biological pesticides have moderate haematological effects, with fungi-based biopesticides demonstrating a relatively safer profile on erythrocyte health.