UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Freshwater fish are susceptible to intestinal cestodes that may alter host nutrient reserves and physiological condition. This study evaluated biochemical changes associated with Senga pawarae infection in the freshwater fish Channa gachua. A total of 120 fish were collected from the Majalgaon Tahsil reservoir and nearby water bodies in Beed District, Maharashtra, India; 76 fish were found to be infected. Protein, glycogen, and lipid contents were estimated in non-infected intestinal tissue, infected intestinal tissue, and the cestode using the Lowry, Kemp, and Folch methods, respectively. Protein content decreased from 23.36 mg/100 mg in non-infected tissue to 16.90 mg/100 mg in infected tissue and 12.31 mg/100 mg in the parasite, corresponding to reductions of 27.65% and 47.30% relative to non-infected tissue. Glycogen content declined from 27.07 to 20.24 and 15.61 mg/100 mg, representing reductions of approximately 25.2% and 42.3%, respectively. Lipid content decreased from 16.70 to 12.47 and 11.24 mg/100 mg, corresponding to reductions of 25.33% and 32.69%. The consistent decline in all three biochemical constituents indicates depletion of host metabolic reserves in association with cestode infection. The lower concentrations recorded in the parasite also reflect its dependence on nutrients available within the host intestine. These findings characterise the biochemical pattern associated with S. pawarae infection and provide baseline information on host–parasite metabolic interactions in C. gachua from the study region.