Embryotoxicity and teratogenicity of tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.) pulp extract using zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo toxicity assay

Abstract

Tamarind is an economically important fruit, widely used in traditional medicine due to its therapeutic properties. However, its bioactive compounds raise an increased precaution on its toxicity. This study investigated the potential embryotoxicity and teratogenicity of Tamarindus indica pulp extracts (2500 mg/L, 1250 mg/L, 625 mg/L and 312.5 mg/L) on the eggs and larvae of zebrafish following a Complete Randomized Design (CRD) in equal replications. Morphological assessment of fish larvae was based on total body length (TBL) and trunk tail angle (TTA) at 72h post fertilization and were subjected to ANOVA (p<0.05) and Linear Regression Analysis. Results on the growth parameters (TBL and TTA) showed significant difference among the four treatments in a concentration-dependent manner. At 72hpf, 2,500mg/L suggests the potential of T. indica pulp extract to induce malformations to exposed larvae. This study presents the inverse relationship of T. indica pulp extract’s embryotoxicity and teratogenicity where larvae mortality occurs in high levels of concentration while malformations form at lower concentrations of T. indica pulp extract.