Toxicity assessment of dreamfish Sarpa salpa from the Gulf of Gabes (Tunisia, Eastern Mediterranean Sea)

This study was undertaken to assess the risk of poisoning due to consumption of the dreamfish. Wistar rats were daily intraperitoneally injected, for 7 days, with protein extracts of liver, viscera, brain and flesh of S. salpa. Control rats received injections of NaCl (0.9%). No mortality and no evident signs of diarrhoea were recorded in treated rats. Conversely, treatment led to: (1) neurotoxicity, body and organ (brain, liver, kidney) weight loss; (2) oxidative stress evidenced by an increase in lipid peroxidation (TBARS) in liver-treated (Lt) and viscera-treated (Vt) group and no significant increase in flesh-treated (Ft) and brain-treated (Bt) group, a decrease in antioxidant enzyme activities (SOD, CAT, GSH-Px) in tissues (brain, liver, kidneys) in group (Lt) and (Vt) and an increase in (Ft) and (Bt); (3) a decrease for alanine am inotransferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities in (Vt) and (Lt) and an increase in (Ft) and (Bt) in blood plasma. The maximum of toxicity observed in fish organ defined were as follows: viscera, liver, brain and flesh. The toxin present in organs of dreamfish had a cytotoxic effect on liver, kidney and especially on the brain of treated rats.