RELATIVE TOXICITY OF RODENTICIDE COUMATETRALYL AGAINST SOME DOMINANT WILD RAT SPECIES FROM FOUR CITIES IN ASSIUT GOVERNORATE

Document Type : Novel Research Articles

Abstract

Rodents are considered as one of the most important pests in Egyptian agriculture. In most countries warfarin and related compounds of anticoagulants are undoubtedly the most commonly used, but resistance to warfarin has increasingly become a big problem. Coumatetralyl (COM) is a multi-dose anticoagulant of the 4-hydroxycoumarin vitamin K antagonist type used as a rodenticide. The current study was designed to determine the dominant rodent species in four sites at Assiut Governorate; Manfalut (1), Deirout (2), Abnoub (3) and Assiut (4). Then the LD50 of COM doses for each dominant species were estimated.  In addition, the harmful effects of ¼ COM LD50 doses on the studied wild rats were determined. Oxidative stress parameters; carbonyl protein (CP), antioxidants such as glutathione (GSH), activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) were measured in liver, kidney and erythrocytic lysate. Also, prothrombin time (PT), international normal ratio (INR), fibrin degradation product (FDP), clotting time and bleeding time were determined. In addation to the histopathological examination of liver and kidney. The result showed that the dominant species found in the studied four sites were Rattus rattus, Arvicanthis niloticus and Gerbillus gerbillus the LD50 of COM estimated in these species were 39.34, 35.29 and 42.84 mg /Kg bw, respectively. Generally, there was a significant rise in CP level and a significant decrease in the antioxidant parameters in the most samples from COM-treated species. Furthermore, the present study showed a significant increase in INR, PTT, clotting time and bleeding time. However, the FDP levels were < 5 in both control and COM-treated groups.  In conclusion, the present results suggested that the ¼ LD50 of COM had very toxic effect as well as powerful susceptibility to the all present studied rodents. So, this used dose could have a potent ability to reduce these pests by lower cost and probably less pollution.

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