Toxic effects of dietary of Al3+ ions in tilapias (Oreochromis niloticus) and protective effect of Zn2+ ion

The lethal effects of aluminum ion (Al3+) in tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) raised in concrete tanks were investigated. Tilapias were fed daily with commercial feed enriched with known concentrations of Al3+ and analyzed by differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV). The concentrations of Al3+ in feces, water, muscle tissue, viscera, and heads were determined every 3 months for a period of 365 days. The Tilapia head was the most affected tissue by Al3+. In general, Al3+ bioaccumulation reached the lethal dose (LD50) after 335 days of experiment as follows: 34.9 mg kg(-1) (muscle tissue), 88.2 mg kg(-1) (viscera), and 126.9 mg kg(-1) (head without gills). After determining Cu2+, Zn2+, and Ca2+ by absorption spectrometry, a decrease in the Ca2+ concentration was noted in the head during the experimental period. These observations were associated with the occurrence of a decalcification in the bone tissue in the presence of Al3+. In contrast, it was found that Zn2+ ions may act as a protective agent against Al3+-induced contamination.