Excessive buildup of heavy metals, especially chromium (Cr), in agricultural soils is a serious problem that needs immediate action on a global scale. Cr toxicity limits plant growth, and effective approaches are necessary to alleviate its accumulation in cereals including maize (Zea mays L.). Therefore, this study was performed to investigate the effects of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), synthesized by the green method, on maize growth attributes and Cr uptake. The AgNPs were characterized by advanced techniques including Fourier transmission infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy. In the pot experiment, conducted in a greenhouse, two different application methods such as foliar spray and seed priming were assessed and compared. Four AgNP treatment levels (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg L-1) were replicated thrice in a completely randomized design with factorial arrangements. Results revealed that AgNPs, via foliar and seed priming, enhanced the plant growth attributes including height, shoot fresh and dry weight, root fresh and dry weight, total chlorophyll contents, and photosynthetic and transpiration rate of maize plants. Cr concentration significantly increased leaf electrolyte leakage and hydrogen peroxide content, while AgNP application decreased the stress level through improvement in activities of antioxidant enzymes. Moreover, treatment of stressed plants with 100 mgL-1 AgNPs alleviated the negative effects of Cr toxicity by effectively reducing its concentration in their roots and shoots. However, foliar application of AgNPs proved more effective than seed priming in Cr stress amelioration. The study demonstrated the potential of green-synthesized AgNPs, as a viable and eco-friendly tool, for the management of Cr stress in crops on sustainable basis.

The urgent need to address the severe environmental risk posed by chromium-contaminated industrial wastewater necessitates the development of eco-friendly cleanup methodologies. Utilizing the Ficus benghalensis plant extracts, the present study aims to develop green zinc oxide nanoparticles for the removal of Cr metal ions from wastewater. The leaves of Ficus benghalensis, often known as the banyan tree, were used to extract a solution for synthesizing ZnO NPs. These nanoparticles were developed with the goal of efficiently eliminating chromium (Cr) from industrial effluents. Batch studies were carried out to assess the efficiency of these synthesized ZnO NPs in treating leather industrial effluent, with aiming for optimal chromium removal. This involved measuring the nanoparticles' capacity to adsorb Cr ions from wastewater samples by comparing chromium levels before and after treatment. Removal efficiency for Cr was estimated through the batches such as optimization of pH, contact time, initial Cr concentration and sorbent dose of ZnO NPs were of the batches. These synthesized ZnO NPs were found to be successful in lowering chromium levels in wastewater to meet permissible limit. The nanoparticles exhibited their highest absorption capacity, reaching 94 % (46 mg/g) at pH 4, with a contact time of 7 hours with the optimum sorbent dose of 0.6 g/L. Hence, the excellent adsorption capabilities of these nanoparticles, together with their environmentally benign manufacturing technique, provide a long-term and efficient solution for chromium-contaminated wastewater treatment. Its novel nature has the potential to significantly improve the safety and cleanliness of water ecosystems, protecting the both i.e. human health and the environment.

Abstract The aim of the present study was to assess the drinking water quality in the selected urban areas of Lahore and to comprehend the public health status by addressing the basic drinking water quality parameters. Total 50 tap water samples were collected from groundwater in the two selected areas of district Lahore i.e., Gulshan-e-Ravi (site 1) and Samanabad (site 2). Water samples were analyzed in the laboratory to elucidate physico-chemical parameters including pH, turbidity, temperature, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC), dissolved oxygen (DO), total hardness, magnesium hardness, and calcium hardness. These physico-chemical parameters were used to examine the Water Quality Index (WQI) and Synthetic Pollution Index (SPI) in order to characterize the water quality. Results of th selected physico-chemical parameters were compared with World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines to determine the quality of drinking water. A GIS-based approach was used for mapping water quality, WQI, and SPI. Results of the present study revealed that the average value of temperature, pH, and DO of both study sites were within the WHO guidelines of 23.5 °C, 7.7, and 6.9 mg/L, respectively. The TDS level of site 1 was 192.56 mg/L (within WHO guidelines) and whereas, in site 2 it was found 612.84 mg/L (higher than WHO guidelines), respectively. Calcium hardness of site 1 and site 2 was observed within the range from 25.04 to 65.732 mg/L but, magnesium hardness values were higher than WHO guidelines. The major reason for poor water quality is old, worn-out water supply pipelines and improper waste disposal in the selected areas. The average WQI was found as 59.66 for site 1 and 77.30 for site 2. Results showed that the quality of the water was classified as “poor” for site 1 and “very poor “ for site 2. There is a need to address the problem of poor water quality and also raise the public awareness about the quality of drinking water and its associated health impacts.

Heavy metal pollution in agricultural soils is a significant challenge for global food production and human health with the increasing industrialization and urbanization. There is a concern about introducing innovative techniques that are eco-friendly, cost-effective, and have the potential to alleviate metals, enhance crop growth, and protect plants against various environmental threats. For this, nanotechnology is one of the promising solutions having various applications in almost every field of life. This review explores various nano-based strategies that use nanoparticles (NPs) to lessen the harmful effects that heavy metals have on plants. Incorporated literature including published research and review papers from the year 2015 to 2023. This review paper gives a thorough review of the current situation regarding heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils and how it affects plant health. The necessity of finding practical and eco-friendly ways to address these issues is emphasized, paving the way for the introduction of NPs. Then, it highlighted the mechanistic route of heavy metal toxicity alleviation in plants by their application as well as their long-term efficiency and prospects. This review also elaborated on various synthesis methods (physical, chemical, and green), but the emphasis on the green synthesis of NPs by utilizing plant extract offers dependable and sustainable benefits over traditional physicochemical techniques. Under trace element stress, NPs application enhances plant antioxidant defense system, ameliorating structural changes, immobilizing trace elements in growth media, and improving the physio-chemical properties of soil as well. However, there are still numerous limitations present on how these materials are synthesized, applied, and appropriately absorbed by plant cells. It is recommended to promote and fund long-term research to assess the long-term effects of using NPs on plant development, soil health, and possible environmental repercussions.

Contaminated drinking water poses a significant threat to public health, particularly in urban areas where industrial and environmental pollutants may affect water quality. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies that evaluate the specific health risks associated with harmful metal contaminants in drinking water. This study seeks to address this gap by assessing water quality and metal contamination using pollution indices and human health risk assessments. The findings will help to identify potential health risks for urban residents and guide the development of targeted interventions and improved water management strategies. The groundwater samples were collected from five different zones in Kasur rural area. A total of 25 samples were collected by random sampling from hand pumps during 4 months (March–June, 2021) for determining various physiochemical attributes (pH, electric conductivity, turbidity, total hardness, chloride, and phosphate) and potentially toxic elements (arsenic, cadmium, and lead) using standard protocols. Results revealed that almost all the physicochemical attributes were close to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. The water quality assessment revealed that pH levels ranged from 7.4 to 9.0, electrical conductivity (EC) between 150 µS/cm and 800 µS/cm, and average turbidity of 12 ± 3.29 NTU, total hardness varied from 200 to 1000 mg/L. Chloride and phosphate concentrations averaged 304 ± 1.28 mg/L and 4.51 ± 1.99 mg/L, respectively. Cadmium levels ranged from 0.15 to 0.53 mg/L, while lead and arsenic concentrations reached up to 7.47 mg/L, exceeding the WHO guidelines. Heavy metal pollution index (HPI) values of all sites were less than critical value of 100. However, by considering the HPI classes, all the locations had high HPI (> 30) class indicating critically polluted water with heavy metals. Through exposure to drinking water, heavy metals had a significant impact on non-carcinogenic risk (HI > 1), according to the hazard index values determined by the human health risk analysis for children, infants, and adults. As compared with metals carcinogenic risk values, lead posed high risks to adults than children and infants as mean CR values for adults, children, and infants were 1.48E + 00, 1.40E + 00, and 7.60E-01, respectively. It is suggested that for drinking water supplies, there is need of installation of treatment plants in the industrial areas to minimize the risk of metal contamination and health issues.

Problem: Chromium (Cr) contamination in agricultural soils poses a significant threat to maize productivity and food security, necessitating the development of innovative strategies to enhance Cr tolerance and mitigate its toxic effects on plant growth and development. Objective: The aims of current study are the green synthesis of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeO2 NPs) using Jasminum officinale L. plant extract and their application to alleviate chromium stress in maize plants. Methods: Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and elemental mapping methods were used to characterize the synthesized CeO2 NPs. The cerium oxide NPs (0, 25, 75 and 100 mg/L) treatment levels applied through foliar and seed priming to check growth, physiological responses and metal uptake by maize plants and a fully random design was used to set up a factorial experiment. Results: The findings showed that foliar application of 100 mg/L CeO2 NPs resulted in an improvement in the plant height (43 %), shoot fresh plant (41 %) and root fresh weight (84 %), and total chlorophyll concentrations (67 %) in maize plants as compared to seed priming (as 25, 32, 40 and 43 % respectively). It also effectively enhanced antioxidant enzymes including super oxide dismutase (75 %) and peroxidase (79 %). In maize plants, by foliar application over the control, CeO2 NPs reduce electrolyte leakage (53 %), malondialdehyde contents (32 %), and chromium content in roots (70 %) under chromium stress. Conclusion: Therefore, these results suggested that increase in the concentration of CeO2 NPs more efficiently 100 mg/L has high ability against chromium stress and act as a promising solution to reduce metal concentration, enhance maize growth and promote sustainable agriculture. Significance: This study’s implications for future research on CeO2 NPs include elucidating their mechanisms in plant stress tolerance, exploring interactive effects with heavy metals, and expanding their use in plant stress management. Furthermore, this finding develops a novel strategy for improving maize cultivation in Cr-contaminated soils, contributing to sustainable agriculture and food security.

Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) have not only detrimental impacts on air quality but also acts as a source for a range of heavy metals that worsen the potential risks to public health. Notably, previous studies on PM2.5-bound heavy metals in Pakistan have primarily focused on individual cities. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of pollution characteristics related to PM2.5 ten cities of Pakistan. Data was collected from a wide range of reliable sources spanning from 2013 to 2023. Additionally, the human health risk assessment methodology endorsed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) was employed to evaluate both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks for adults (males and females) and children. Findings of the present study revealed that children faced a greater risk associated with PM2.5-bound heavy metals as compared to adults. Cadmium, zinc, and nickel were found as the top three contributors to the average non-carcinogenic risk, while lead, cadmium, and nickel showed the highest carcinogenic risks. Based on these findings, this study strongly recommend that the government should strengthen the management of industrial and vehicular emissions. Furthermore, there is an imperative need to establish a real-time monitoring system capable of tracking toxic heavy metal pollutants transported through the atmosphere. Additionally, policymakers should seriously contemplate regional collaborations with the goal of creating metropolitan initiatives for pollution control, thereby effectively addressing these paramount environmental and public health concerns.-bound heavy metals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni), in

This study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a combined green and synthetic solution for the sustainable treatment of wastewater from the paint industry. Effluent was treated with a natural plant extract (Azadarachta indica) and a silver nitrate solution (AgNO3). Three composite samples of wastewater were collected from the paint industry, transferred to the laboratory for analysis, and three case studies were applied for treatment. The parameters of the treated water were compared with the Punjab Environmental Quality Standards (PEQS). Case 1 was a control treatment in which discharged industrial effluent was collected and analyzed for various pollutants (pH, COD, TDS, TSS, and BOD). All the target parameters were higher than the limits in the PEQS. In Case 2, the wastewater was treated by reaction with an A. indica solution for a 4 to 72 h retention time. Some pollutants were remediated as a result of the reaction, while the majority of pollutants required a longer retention time and a higher concentration of A. indica extract, making this case applicable for the treatment of wastewater. In Case 3, the discharged industrial effluent was reacted with A. indica solution combined with AgNO3 solution for wastewater treatment with a 4 to 72 h retention time; after reaction, all the pollutants were remediated at high pH of 12 at a retention time of 24 h. However, a longer retention time and a better solution are required for the treatment of priority pollutants. However, Case 3 treated more pollutants, so was far superior to Cases 1 and 2. As a result, this instance is suitable for the treatment of wastewater from the paint industry.

This study was conducted to assess air quality status in the selected cities of Pakistan through Air Quality Index (AQI) and Multi Pollutant Index (MPI) and their correlation. Secondary data on air pollutants' concentrations for the year 2021 were used from the literature. For this investigation, major air pollutants including carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter were used and compared with Punjab Environmental Quality Standards. Air quality indices, Multi Pollutant Index (MPI) and the Air Quality Index (AQI) were used in the study. Overall condition of the air pollutants in the particular location was described using the Air Quality Index. For this formula, the average concentration of each pollutant across a range of time periods was first calculated. The concentration of each pollutant was then divided by the rele-vant standard value, which was then cumulatively averaged and represented as a per-centage. Results showed that Lahore and Karachi are two of the cities with unhealthy to hazardous AQI values and poor air quality according to MPI values. Air quality is deteriorating in industrial and traffic-congested cities where pollution levels signifi-cantly exceeded the threshold values. Using the linear regression, the results confirmed the strong association between the AQI and MPI. There is a need for immediate action to be taken to lower pollutants' concentrations and improve air quality in urban areas.

The present study was conducted to evaluate the quality of drinking water and assess the potential health hazards due to water contaminants in selected urban areas of Lahore, Pakistan. Water samples were collected from ten sites and analyzed for different physico-chemical parameters including turbidity, color, pH, total dissolved solids (TDS), nitrates, fluoride, residual chlorine, and total hardness. Additionally, heavy metal (arsenic) and microbial parameters (E. coli) were also determined in the water samples. Drinking water quality evaluation indices, including the water quality index (WQI) for physico-chemical and biological parameters and human health risk assessment (HHRA) for heavy metal were estimated using the analytical results of the target parameters. It was found in most of the areas that the levels of arsenic, fluoride, TDS, and residual chlorine were higher than those recommended by the National Environmental Quality Standard (NEQS) and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. In addition to the physico-chemical parameters, microbial content (E. coli) was also found in the drinking water samples of the selected areas. Statistical analysis of the results indicated that levels of target parameters in drinking water samples are significantly different between sampling sites. The WQI for all physico-chemical and microbial parameters indicated that drinking water in most of the areas was unfit and unsuitable (WQI > 100) for drinking purposes except for the water of Bhatti Gate and Chota Gaon Shahdara with a WQI of 87 and 91, respectively. Drinking water in these areas had a very poor WQI rating. According to HHRA, drinking water from the selected sites was found to be of high risk to children and adults. The carcinogenic risk of arsenic indicated that all samples were of high risk to both adults and children (4.60 and 4.37 × 10−3, respectively). Regular monitoring of drinking water quality is essential, and proactive measures must be implemented to ensure the treatment and availability of safe drinking water in urban areas.

During surveys of macrofungi in Pakistan, eight specimens belonging to the genus Lactocollybia were collected from the plains of Punjab and foothills of Murree. Morphological studies and molecular characterization refer all collections to a single species, Lactocollybia variicystis, previously restricted to Africa and Europe; this is the first report from Asia. Except for geography, no significant differences were found among African, European, and Pakistani collections.

Urban air and soil quality has been deteriorating during the past few years due to urbanization, industrialization and increased number of vehicles. The goal of the current study was to assess the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and heavy metal absorption (Pb, Cd, Zn, and Ni) potential by ten selected trees planted along the roadside in the metropolitan city of Lahore, Pakistan. APTI was estimated on the basis of biochemical parameters (chlorophyll content, ascorbic acid, pH and relative water contents) of plant extract, while heavy metals (HMs) accumulation potential was measured by a digestion method. The highest APTI was estimated in P. longifolia (78.9), followed by A. scholarils (75.9) and M. indica (71.9). Overall, these three species have significant closeness among the higher pollution-tolerance results. The poor APTI result was determined in F. religiosa (19.5) and E. citriodora (14.9). The highest Pb contents were observed in P. longifolia and M. indica i.e., 135 and 132 mg/kg, respectively. Similarly, the highest Zn contents were found in P. longifolia and S. cumini with 130 and 132 mg/kg, respectively. The Ni concentration was observed highest in P. longifolia (34 mg/kg), but in the remaining species, it is almost the same trend of Ni accumulation. Combining these trees can be useful for fostering green-belt growth along roadsides to reduce air and soil pollution and achieve environmental sustainability. But unfortunately, these species are not planted well across the roadside as they have very little biodiversity index, as compared to other species. These species should be planted in urban areas to enhance biodiversity in the urban ecosystem and make them sustainable cities and communities.

Abstract The heavy metal cadmium (Cd) is known to be a widespread environmental contaminant and a potential toxin that may adversely affect human health across the globe. Green nanotechnology has recently received a lot of attention for developing eco-friendly, low-cost renewable and sustainable materials for the efficient removal of persistent contaminants from wastewater, including heavy metals (HMs). The current study compared the ability of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs) synthesized from Trianthema portulacastrum (A) and Chenopodium quinoa (B) extracts to remove Cd from wastewater. The washed biomass of both the plants was dried under shade for a few days and was ground into the fine particles in a blender. The powdered biomass of T. portulacastrum and C. quinoa was soaked separately in distilled water (@ 10 g/100 ml) for 36 h. The stock solution of titanium (0.3 M) was prepared from concentrated titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) and was mixed with the plant extracts at 1:2 ratio of extract to TTIP solution with continuous stirring at room temperature. A light brown scum like TiO2-NPs were obtained at the bottom of china dish and calcined at 450 °C for 4 h. Finally, after natural cooling, the TiO2-NPs were collected and used for the sorption of Cd through wastewater. Sorption attributes of both TiO2 NPs (A, B) were investigated over contact time, dosage of adsorbent, pH, and initial concentration of Cd. Maximum sorption was obtained (46 mgg−1) by TiO2 NPs (A), followed by 44 mg Cd g−1 with TiO2 NPs (B) at pH 4.2, an optimum adsorbent dosage 0.7 g L−1, Cd initial level 30 mg L−1, with contact time of 2 h. Pseudo-second-order kinetic model was suited for adsorption experimental data using both nanoparticles. These results validated the potential use of TiO2 NPs to remove liquified cadmium at high concentrations from the industrial wastewater.

e19029 Background: CML, although a disease of middle age, is not uncommon in younger age groups in developing countries like Pakistan. Methods: In this single center, cross sectional study, all patients diagnosed with CML below 30 years of age were enrolled. After collection, data was analyzed using Spss version 23.Quantitative variable were presented as mean and percentages. Chi-square was used for correlation between variables with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: Total 101 patients, with age range 7-30 years (mean 21.99±6.3), including 18(17.8%) below 15 years, were enrolled. Fever was most common presenting symptoms seen in 61(60.4%) followed by fatigue, abdominal distension in 40(39.6%) and 33(32.7%).Mean presenting TLC was 158.9±136.95. Of these, 97(96.03%) patients were in chronic phase, 3(2.97%) had accelerated and 1(1%) in blast phase. As per SOKAL score, 27 (26.73%), 51(50.49%) and 23(22.77%) had low, intermediate and high risk disease respectively. Imatinib was started in 80.19% while Nilotinib in 19.80% as 1 st line TKI. Among these, 88.1% achieved CHR by end of 3 rd month. After 1 st year, 60.8% achieved a molecular response (MR≥3). 1(1%) transformed from chronic to blast phase.2 nd line TKI was started in 13.8% due to lack of response. Grade ¾ thrombocytopenia and grade ½ per-orbital edema were main toxicities seen in 10.7% and 9.6% respectively. Co-relation of increasing age with high TLC (p=0.039) and better response to TKI (p=0.014) was statistically significant. Conclusions: Distinct clinical behavior of CML in children and young adults necessitates further studies to ensure better disease management.[Table: see text]

Soil contamination with toxic cadmium (Cd) is becoming a serious global problem and poses a key hazard to environments and the health of human beings worldwide. The present study investigated the effects of foliar applications of three forms of silicate chemicals (calcium silicate, sodium silicate, and potassium silicate) at four rates (0.25%, 0.5%, 0.75%, and 1.0%) at tillering stage on rice growth and the accumulation of Cd under Cd stress (30 mg kg−1). The results showed that Cd stress reduced the yield-related traits and enlarged Cd contents in different rice organs. The leaf gas exchange attributes and yield traits were enhanced, and the Cd accumulation and bioaccumulation factor in rice organs were reduced, especially in grains, through silicon application. In shoots, roots, and grains, foliar spray of Si reduced Cd contents by 40.3%, 50.7%, and 47.9%, respectively. The effectiveness of silicate compounds in reducing Cd toxicity varied with the kind of chemicals and doses of foliar applications. Foliar application of potassium silicate, at a rate of 0.5%, at tillering stage, showed the best effectiveness in improving grain yield, while mitigating Cd accumulation in rice grains. The outcome of this study provides a promising practicable approach in alleviating Cd toxicity in rice and preventing the entrance of Cd into the food chain.

This feeding trial was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary black seed (Nigella sativa) supplementation on the growth performance, muscles proximate composition, antioxidant and histo-biochemical parameters of rohu (Labeo rohita). Fingerlings (8.503 ± 0.009 g) were fed on 0.0%, 1% and 2.5% black seed supplemented diets for 28 days. Fish sampling was done on the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day of experiment. The results of the present study indicated that black seed supplementation significantly increased growth performance and muscles protein contents of rohu over un-supplemented ones. Lipid peroxidation levels significantly decreased in all the studied tissues (liver, gills, kidney and brain) of black seed fed rohu, whereas the antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and reduced glutathione) activities were increased in all the studied tissues of black seed supplemented rohu at each sampling day. The hepatic-nephric marker enzymes levels were decreased for black seed fed rohu. The present study showed that tested black seed levels are safe for rohu. Black seed is cheaply available in local markets of Pakistan; therefore, based on the results of the present study, it is suggested that black seed has potential to be used as natural growth promoter and antioxidant in the diet of rohu.

We present a timely evaluation of health effects of COVID-19 related lockdown events in Pakistan. Using parametric t tests and non-parametric Wilcoxon signed ranks tests we find that the coronavirus cases and deaths in the four-weeks after lockdown lifting are significantly greater than those reported over the same time periods during lockdown. This paper is meant to aid in handling interventions to manage COVID-19 outbreak across the Asia and Pacific region, especially to the ones that have similar settings of health care systems and economic development. However, the direct economic and environmental effects of imposing and easing lockdown measures remain a matter of further investigation.

This work focuses on the synthesis of a novel hybrid composite, fabricated by utilizing jute and carbon fibers reinforced epoxy composites through hand layup technique to replace pure carbon-epoxy fiber composites. The mechanical properties were evaluated by drop weight impact and tension-tension fatigue tests. The tension-tension fatigue test was conducted to monitor the dynamic stiffness and fatigue life degradation of hybrid composite materials by varying the layers of jute fiber. The maximum peak load during the impact test was observed as 1081.7 N in case of carbon/jute/carbon/jute/carbon (CJCJC) stacking sequence composite materials. Finally, the surface morphology of hybrid composite materials was studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after mechanical tests to check the delamination, fiber pull-out and matrix cracks. It can be concluded from the obtained mechanical results that the newly developed composite with 15% jute/carbon-epoxy hybrid materials has the potential to swap carbon-epoxy composite without much loss of fatigue life along with relatively enhanced ductility as well as impact strength.

The current study assessed the ameliorative potential of Nigella sativa seeds against diethyl phthalate (DEP) induced growth retardation, oxidative stress and histo-biochemical changes in Labeo rohita (rohu) fingerlings. N. sativa, a medicinal plant containing several pharmacological properties, was incorporated into three diets at 0%, 1%, and 2.5% levels, prepared by mixing N. sativa seeds with the basal diet. The median lethal concentration of DEP to mhu was 4.38 mg L-1 for 96th hour. Three hundred fingerlings (8.502 +/- 0.009 g) were exposed to a sub-lethal concentration of 0.51 mg L-1 (1/10th of LC50) DEP, with or without N. sativa for 7, 14, 21, and 28 days. The results revealed that rohu exposed to DEP alone has significantly decreased growth rate, as opposed to rohu exposed to DEP in combination with N. saliva, which demonstrated markedly improved growth rates. A significant decrease in muscles protein contents of DEP-treated rohu was also noted. DEP exposure also inhibited the antioxidant enzymes (catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and glutathione peroxidase) activities in all of the studied tissues (liver, kidney, gills and brain). Moreover, DEP exposure significantly increased lipid peroxidation levels, whereas glutathione (GSH) levels decreased in all of the studied rohu tissues in a time-dependent manner. Where DEP exposure has been found to enhance alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, urea, and creatinine levels; a significant reversal in the levels of these enzymes was noted in N. saliva supplemented rohu. Histological studies of the liver, kidney, and gills indicated that N. saliva supplementation in mhu provides beneficial protective defenses against DEP-induced toxicity.