Considerations on the Use of Malachite Green in Aquaculture and Analytical Aspects of Determining the Residues in Fish: A Review

Aquaculture in Brazil has shown expressive development since the 1990s with growth rates superior to those of cattle and poultry. In order to achieve greater productivity, intensive fish cultivation systems are employed, which can cause greater susceptibility to diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The reduced availability of veterinary medications approved for use in aquaculture in Brazil has lead fish farmers to the indiscriminate use of several chemical substances with antimicrobial activity, such as the dye malachite green (MG). As a result of this use, residues of MG and its main biotransformation product, leucomalachite green (LMG), may be present in fish available for consumption. The presence of residues of these compounds represents a risk to human health due to their toxicity, as well as a potential impact on the environment, and could also raise barriers for commercialization in the country and for exportation. The objective of this review is to provide the context and evidence of the use of MG in aquaculture and of its toxicological and legislative aspects. A review of the analytical methods used to determine MG residues in fish, with emphasis on mass spectrometry, is also presented.