The histology and mucin histochemistry of the farmed juvenile african catfish digestive tract (Clarias gariepinus b)

November 17, 2014

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Article Title:	The histology and mucin histochemistry of the farmed juvenile african catfish digestive tract (Clarias gariepinus b)
Authors:	Ikpegbu* E., Nlebedum U.C., Ibe C.S.
Affiliation:	Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia state, Nigeria
Abstract:	The microanatomy of the juvenile African catfish was studied. This study was carried out to provide baseline study on the digestive tract of this important culture seed in the commercial catfish aquaculture in Nigeria, as there is dearth of information on it from available literature to help understand its digestive physiology. The result showed that the oro-pharyngeal wall and tongue were lined by stratified squamous epithelium but the tongue lacked taste buds, thus making it a non-gustatory organ. The lamina propria contained irregular collagen fibres. The oesophageal longitudinal folds was lined by stratified mucous epithelium containing eosinophilic club cells, with the lamina propria core containing regular collagen fibres. The oesophageal tunica muscularis contained skeletal muscles in an inner longitudinal and outer circular arrangement. The stomach was lined by simple columnar epithelium with apical neutral mucin. The gastric epithelium contained intraepithelial lymphocytes. The stomach cardiac and fundic regions contained gastric glands in the lamina propria while none was seen in the pyloric region. The intestinal simple absorptive epithelium contained intraepithelial lymphocytes and goblet cells that increased in number towards the rectum. Mucin histochemistry revealed the presence neutral mucin in the oesophageal mucous cells and this is associated with pre-gastric digestion. Acid mucin present in the intestinal goblet cells are involved with the local defense against pathogenic organisms in the digestive tract. This study provides data for further investigative researches and will help clinicians in diagnosis of its diseases thus helping aquaculture growth.
Keywords:	lymphocytes, club cells, histology, mucin. nigerialymphocytes, club cells, histology, mucin. nigeria
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*Correspondence: .	Dr. Ikpegbu E, Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia state, Nigeria. e-mail: ikpegbu.ekele@mouau.edu.ng Tel: +2348060775754

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