Restoration potential of Artemisia diet against prolonged carbendazim exposure triggers metabolic disorders, oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress, and antimicrobial peptides dysregulation in Oreochromis niloticus.

Fish physiological and metabolic processes are negatively impacted by the fungicide carbendazim (CRZ), which contaminates aquatic reservoirs. This study examines how long-term exposure to CRZ (2.16 µg/L) dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) affects Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia) antioxidant capacity, biochemical, liver histology, and hepatic expression of antimicrobial peptides and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-linked genes. Additionally, the possibility of dietary Artemisia annua leave extract (ANN; 0.5%) to alleviate CRZ exposure was investigated. For 60 days, 200 fish (average weight = 15.78 ± 0.10 g; average length = 11.7 ± 0.50 cm) were assigned to five groups (control, DMSO, ANN, CRZ, and ANN + CRZ), each with four replicates (40 fish per treatment; 10 fish per replication). CRZ induced oxidative damage in the hepatic tissue by lowering the glutathione peroxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase activities, while elevating the malondialdehyde level. There was an elevation in the lipid indices and hepatic function markers (alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and bilirubin) due to CRZ exposure. CRZ lowered the high-density lipoprotein and protein indices (total protein, albumin, and globulin). The expression of antimicrobial peptides (piscidin-4, piscidin-3, beta defensin-1, and hepcidin-2) was inhibited, while ER-stress genes (bip, eif-2α, xbp-1, and chop) were increased in the liver due to CRZ exposure. CRZ exposure resulted in histological lesions in the liver tissue, including degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes, and engorged blood vessels. Feeding on the ANN improved the antioxidant capacity of the CRZ-exposed fish. The hepatic expression of antimicrobial peptides and ER-stress genes was modulated, and the hepatic histology was restored as a result of feeding on the ANN diet. Collectively, ANN dietary addition (0.5%) can be applied in the Nile tilapia diet, especially under CRZ conditions, for boosting the biochemical and metabolic functions of the fish.