Abstract
Bisphenol F (BPF) is an emerging contaminant extensively used in the pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industries, exerting deleterious effects on human and wildlife health. Therefore, the current study was conducted to assess the toxicity induced by BPF in rohu Labeo rohita using multiple biomarkers such as oxidative stress, activity of antioxidant enzymes, biochemical parameters, histology, and genotoxicity. Fish were separated into four groups (T1-T4). Group T1 served as a control (0 μg/L), while Groups T2, T3, and T4 were exposed to BPF concentrations of 600 μg/L, 1200 μg/L, and 1800 μg/L, respectively, for 21 days. Results showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in oxidative biomarkers (thiobarbituric acid reactive substance [TBARS] and reactive oxygen species [ROS]), while the concentration of antioxidant biomarkers (peroxidase [POD], superoxide dismutase [SOD], reduced glutathione [GSH], and catalase) was significantly (p < 0.05) decreased with the rising concentration of BPF in the liver, gills, and kidney of fish. Significant reduction (p < 0.05) in biochemical parameters was measured from collected whole blood, including red blood cells (RBCs), hemoglobin (HGB), mean corpuscular HGB (MCH), MC volume (MCV), hematocrit (HCT), MC HGB concentration (MCHC), platelets, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total proteins, very LDL (VLDL), albumin and globulin, while white blood cells (WBCs), neutrophils, triglycerides, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), blood glucose, and alanine transaminase (ALT) levels were increased significantly (p < 0.05). Comet assay showed the DNA damage potential of BPF in erythrocytes. Histological examination showed that exposure to BPF causes several degenerative effects in the soft tissues (gills, liver, and kidney) of treated fish. It is concluded that BPF induces deleterious effects via disruptions in histological, genotoxic, and biochemical alterations in several organs of exposed fish.