Acute oral toxicity of two products from a microbial pest control agent (Beauveria bassiana) on physiological status aspects of male albino rats

Abstract

Background: Synthetic pesticides have accumulated in environment causing harm to humans and ecosystems. As a result, the use of biopesticides in agriculture and public health has expanded as a substitute for traditional pesticides. Purpose: To investigate the acute oral toxicity of Beauveria bassiana, on physiological status aspects of male rats. Material and Methods: Metabolic crude (MC), and wettable powder formulation (2.5% WP) from the local isolate of B. bassiana (AUMC 9896) were tested on adult Sprague Dawley (SD) male rats by single oral dose. Results: There was no evidence of death or toxic symptoms in any of the treated groups. In contrast, each product caused a significant increase in the body weight gain and relative liver weights of B. bassiana-exposed male and reduced the brain somatic index with WP only as compared to the control. The studied bioinsecticide also caused a substantial rise in total erythrocyte and absolute differential leucocyte counts, while red blood cell distribution width (RDW) and platelet count (Plt) were decreased significantly. Furthermore, male rats exposed to both types of B. bassiana, aspartate aminotransferases (AST), total protein (TP), albumin (Alb), AST/ALT, triglyceride, and very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL) were elevated compared to the untreated group, whereas alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, globulin (Glb), Alb/Glb, urea content, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) count fluctuated between increased and decreased. Also, B. bassiana-treated rats had lower serum cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (HDL) values.
Conclusion: These results suggest that both treatments have slight effects on complete blood count (CBC) of treated male rats and marked effect on liver function, lipid profile, body weight gain and somatic index of the liver and brain.