Ameliorative Potentials of Methylcobalamin (Vitamin B12) Against Teratogenic Effects Induced by Oxyfluorfen in Chick Embryo.

Purpose: Teratological potential of oxyfluorfen and the antioxidant role of Methylcobalamin was studied in the golden black variety of domestic chicken Gallus domesticus. Methods: The study was conducted on 200 fresh fertilized eggs collected and divided into 4 groups as follows: (1) Control injected with 0.1 µL of 5% DMSO in corn oil (2) Oxy, injected with 0.1µL of 0.01µg/g oxyfluorfen solution in 5% DMSO and corn oil (3) MeCbl, injected with 0.1µL of 0.01µg/g methylcobalamin solution (4) OxyMeCbl, injected with 0.1µL of 0.01µg/g oxyfluorfen solution in 5% DMSO and corn oil and 0.1µL of 0.01µg/g methylcobalamin solution. In-ovo treatment was given on zero day and embryos were incubated & on 14th day of incubation, the embryos were recovered from eggs and fixed in fixative (90% alcohol and 10% formaldehyde) for further studies. Results: The morphological observations showed a significant increase in mortality rate among the oxyfluorfen treated embryos against control group. Morphological analysis revealed various adverse effects, including reduced weight, crown-rump size, axial and appendicular skeleton size. Moreover, deformities were noted in the beak, eye, and neck formation. Cataracts were frequently observed in the eyes, and some embryos showed reduced head size with a prominent decrease in the beak size. Development of feathers was also affected, and several cases exhibited umbilical cord hernias. However, when the embryos were treated with methylcobalamin after oxyfluorfen exposure, there was a noticeable improvement in developmental effects. Conclusions: Oxyfluorfen, containing fluorine causes birth defects in chick embryo that might be due to oxidative stress. Methylcobalamin has showed potential to act as antioxidant by countering oxyfluorfen's harmful effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]