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Chloramine T in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) aquaculture. Safeguard or hidden threat? Evaluating its effect on fish growth, immune response and liver function Cover

Chloramine T in pikeperch (Sander lucioperca) aquaculture. Safeguard or hidden threat? Evaluating its effect on fish growth, immune response and liver function

Journal of Veterinary Research
Volume 70 (2026): Issue 1 (March 2026)
By: Patrycja Schulz,  Elżbieta Terech-Majewska,  Maciej Rożyński,  Karolina Duk,  Joanna Pajdak-Czaus,  Andrzej Krzysztof Siwicki and  Zdzisław Zakęś  
Open Access
|Feb 2026
Figures & tables

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1.

Changes in body weight (a) and condition factor (b) of pikeperch after single and multiple chloramine T exposure (n = 3, P-value ≤ 0.05). C – control group not exposed to chloramine; CLT1 – group exposed once to chloramine on day 0; CLT3 – group exposed three times to chloramine on days 0, 7 and 14

Fig. 2.

Liver enzyme activity in pikeperch plasma after single and multiple chloramine T exposure (n = 7, P-value ≤ 0.05). C – control group not exposed to chloramine; CLT1 – group exposed once to chloramine on day 0; CLT3 – group exposed three times to chloramine on days 0, 7 and 14

Fig. 3.

Histopathological changes in pikeperch liver tissue exposed to chloramine in representative sections from different experimental groups. C – control group not exposed to chloramine; CLT1 – group exposed once to chloramine on day 0; CLT3 – group exposed three times to chloramine on days 0, 7 and 14. Differences in coloration are attributed to sexual dimorphism and variations in glycogen accumulation patterns. Images were captured using identical exposure, illumination and white balance and 400× magnification universally. Haematoxylin and eosin staining, scale bar = 50 μm. CLT-associated changes include hepatocyte vacuolisation (B, C, E, G, J, L and O) and mononuclear cell infiltration (B, F, H, I and O)

Fig. 4.

Pikeperch liver response indices after chloramine exposure. ILC – circulatory disturbance index; ILR – regressive change index; ILP – progressive change index; ILI – inflammatory reaction index; ILT – neoplastic change index; ILΣ – total organ index; C – control group not exposed to chloramine; CLT1 – group exposed once to chloramine on day 0; CLT3 – group exposed three times to chloramine on days 0, 7 and 14. Statistically significant differences between groups are marked with asterisks (n = 6, mean ± SD, * – P-value ≤ 0.05; ** – P-value ≤ 0.01; *** – P-value ≤ 0.001; **** – P-value ≤ 0.0001)

Cellular indicators of non-specific immunity of pikeperch after chloramine T exposure

GroupDay
18152229
SI ± SDSI ± SDSI ± SDSI ± SDSI ± SD
RBA (SI)C1.446 ± 0.321.115 ± 0.331.002 ± 0.06a1.042 ± 0.091.079 ± 0.23
CLT11.203 ± 0.141.072 ± 0.091.038 ± 0.12a1.072 ± 0.291.131 ± 0.36
CLT31.534 ± 0.401.107 ± 0.390.773 ± 0.15b1.043 ± 0.181.317 ± 0.20
PKA (SI)C1.027 ± 0.030.818 ± 0.220.860 ± 0.07a1.411 ± 0.41a0.719 ± 0.10a
CLT10.867 ± 0.071.103 ± 0.340.741 ± 0.14ab1.159 ± 0.23ab0.803 ± 0.21ab
CLT30.942 ± 0.310.875 ± 0.330.631 ± 0.10b0.798 ± 0.15b0.963 ± 0.12b
MTT ConA (SI)C0.799 ± 0.090.596 ± 0.05a0.754 ± 0.10a0.642 ± 0.06a0.930 ± 0.24
CLT10.664 ± 0.030.818 ± 0.09ab0.804 ± 0.06a1.925 ± 0.38b1.000 ± 0.54
CLT30.773 ± 0.131.097 ± 0.22b1.744 ± 0.38b1.461 ± 0.18b0.577 ± 0.61
MTT LPS (SI)C1.069 ± 0.040.970 ± 0.09a0.668 ± 0.16a0.790 ± 0.19a1.127 ± 0.11
CLT11.000 ± 0.111.099 ± 0.09ab0.932 ± 0.06a1.374 ± 0.46b1.280 ± 0.34
CLT31.033 ± 0.091.192 ± 0.12b1.583 ± 0.59b1.153 ± 0.17ab1.149 ± 0.35

Humoral indicators of non-specific immunity of pikeperch after chloramine T exposure

GroupDay
18152229
Mean ± SDMean ± SDMean ± SDMean ± SDMean ± SD
LSM (mg L−1)C65.63 ± 4.22a69.58 ± 7.6776.56 ± 5.6173.75 ± 11.35a77.92 ± 3.16
CLT1101.65 ± 6.87b63.34 ± 11.9075.33 ± 14.59112.51 ± 4.02b76.41 ± 4.87
CLT394.76 ± 17.79b64.61 ± 10.6478.91 ± 5.1684.87 ± 4.38a72.95 ± 4.81
CP (IU)C57.06 ± 5.3948.05 ± 3.4851.43 ± 4.7942.59 ± 3.7257.06 ± 5.39
CLT161.79 ± 5.8247.59 ± 4.6851.99 ± 5.9245.87 ± 2.8761.97 ± 5.82
CLT360.49 ± 6.8952.03 ± 9.3255.25 ± 4.8846.74 ± 2.7260.49 ± 6.89
T-P (g L−1)C43.56 ± 6.1547.19 ± 5.8753.36 ± 25.0747.34 ± 12.6643.56 ± 6.15
CLT157.79 ± 18.1141.47 ± 5.9176.49 ± 43.8551.57 ± 19.4457.79 ± 18.11
CLT359.35 ± 13.2151.99 ± 8.6164.45 ± 28.3559.31 ± 14.6959.35 ± 13.21
γ-G (g L−1)C7.21 ± 2.0613.46 ± 1.4114.63 ± 2.9815.23 ± 1.9312.05 ± 3.77
CLT18.80 ± 0.6513.72 ± 2.5217.35 ± 2.7012.96 ± 4.329.63 ± 1.72
CLT39.32 ± 2.2110.69 ± 2.3816.24 ± 1.7217.16 ± 2.1912.95 ± 2.08
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2026-0006 | Journal eISSN: 2450-8608
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Language: English
Page range: 119 - 128
Submitted on: May 21, 2025
Accepted on: Feb 6, 2026
Published on: Feb 12, 2026
Published by: National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 4 issues per year
Keywords:
aquaculture health management,
disinfectants,
fish welfare and productivity,
hepatotoxicity,
recirculating aquaculture system
Related subjects:
Life sciences,
Molecular biology,
Microbiology and virology,
Life sciences, other,
Medicine,
Veterinary medicine

© 2026 Patrycja Schulz, Elżbieta Terech-Majewska, Maciej Rożyński, Karolina Duk, Joanna Pajdak-Czaus, Andrzej Krzysztof Siwicki, Zdzisław Zakęś, published by National Veterinary Research Institute in Pulawy
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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