Protective Effect of Rutin Against Bisphenol A-Induced Oxidative Stress, Hematological Alterations, and Hepatic Damage in Labeo rohita

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA), a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, poses a significant threat to aquatic organisms by inducing oxidative stress and physiological disruption. Natural antioxidants, such as rutin, offer protection against BPA-induced toxicity. This study aimed to evaluate the hematological and hepatic antioxidative responses of Labeo rohita to BPA exposure and assessed the protective efficacy of dietary rutin supplementation. A total of 120 fish were divided into four groups: control, BPA-exposed, BPA + rutin, and rutin-supplemented feed. BPA was administered at 0.056-0.399 mg/L, while rutin was supplemented at 500 mg/kg feed for 28 days. Oxidative stress biomarkers (ROS, CAT, POD, GSH) and red blood cell (RBC) counts were analyzed at 7-day intervals. Histopathological and serum biochemical analyses were performed to evaluate hepatic and hematological effects.

BPA exposure caused a progressive decline in red blood cell (RBC) counts, reaching 0.16 ± 0.06 × 10⁶/µL by day 28 (p < 0.001) compared to 2.96 ± 0.01 in the control. Hepatic reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased significantly in the BPA group (1.18 ± 0.08; p < 0.01), accompanied by reductions in catalase (0.17 ± 0.01), peroxidase (0.23 ± 0.04), and reduced glutathione (1.52 ± 0.06) activities. Co-treatment with rutin markedly improved RBC counts (1.66 ± 0.50), reduced ROS (0.33 ± 0.51), and restored CAT (0.62 ± 0.01), POD (0.26-control range), and GSH (2.23 ± 0.19) levels toward baseline values. Rutin-only group maintained physiological and biochemical parameters comparable to the control. These findings demonstrate that that rutin confers protective effects against BPA-induced oxidative and hematological stress in Labeo rohita, indicating its potential as a natural antioxidant supplement in aquaculture. Further studies under field conditions are recommended to validate its efficacy and safety.