UTTAR PRADESH JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY

Microplastic Pollution in Aquatic Ecosystems: Sources, Transport, Ecotoxicological Impacts, and Implications for Human Health

Bhavana Raju Dhawad — 2026-09-25

Microplastic pollution is now documented across freshwater, estuarine, coastal and oceanic systems, yet the implications of widespread occurrence remain difficult to interpret because particles differ in size, shape, polymer, density, weathering state and associated chemicals, while analytical and toxicological methods remain poorly harmonised. This critical narrative review integrates evidence on sources, transport, transformation, ecological effects and human-health implications, with emphasis on where inference is robust and where it remains constrained. Literature published from 1 January 2004 to 19 July 2026 was considered, supplemented by authoritative institutional assessments and citation searching. The evidence consistently identifies land-based waste leakage, wastewater, textile fibres, tyre wear and atmospheric deposition as important pathways, but source contributions are strongly context dependent. Hydrodynamics, particle density and morphology, biofouling, aggregation and resuspension redistribute particles among surface waters, the water column and sediments, making surface measurements an incomplete proxy for ecosystem exposure. Laboratory and field studies establish ingestion, retention and trophic transfer in diverse taxa and provide credible evidence for effects on feeding, energy balance, oxidative status, tissue responses, growth and reproduction under some conditions. Ecological risk, however, cannot be inferred from hazard demonstrations alone because many experiments use particle types and doses that differ from environmental mixtures, and effect thresholds vary among organisms and particle traits. Sorbed contaminants and additives can contribute to toxicity, but microplastics are not universally dominant chemical vectors relative to food and other environmental media. Seafood and drinking water provide plausible human exposure routes, and plastic particles have been detected in human tissues and fluids, but the fraction attributable to aquatic sources and the causal significance of internal exposure remain unresolved. Recent human observational evidence justifies stronger exposure assessment rather than definitive disease attribution. The most consequential research priorities are harmonised metrology, environmentally realistic mixtures, coupled field–laboratory designs, quantitative source-to-receptor models, longitudinal human studies and intervention evaluation.

Climate-driven Reproductive Dysfunction in Cultured Fish and Shellfish: Endocrine Mechanisms, Consequences and Adaptive Strategies

Suja Nagampoozhi — 2026-09-26

Climate change is altering the environmental conditions experienced by aquatic organisms through rising temperatures, marine heatwaves, hypoxia, salinity fluctuations, ocean acidification and more frequent extreme events. Although the effects of climate change on growth, survival and disease have received considerable attention, reproductive impairment may occur before substantial mortality and can directly threaten aquaculture seed production. Reproduction depends on the coordinated interaction of environmental cues, neuroendocrine pathways, gonadal function, gametogenesis and energy allocation, making it particularly sensitive to environmental instability. In fish, climate-related changes can affect the brain–pituitary–gonad axis, steroidogenesis, sex differentiation, gametogenesis, gamete quality and spawning. Temperature is especially important because it influences endocrine regulation throughout reproductive development, while hypoxia, salinity changes and ocean acidification can further modify endocrine, metabolic and cellular processes. In shellfish, environmental stress can affect gonadal development, gametogenesis, spawning, fertilisation and larval performance through mechanisms that differ from those operating in vertebrate fishes. Multiple climate-related stressors may also act simultaneously, producing additive, synergistic or antagonistic effects. Parental exposure can further influence offspring through maternal provisioning, paternal effects and epigenetic mechanisms. These processes have direct implications for broodstock conditioning, hatchery seed production and the sustainability of aquaculture. This review examines the links between climate-related environmental change, reproductive endocrine regulation and reproductive performance in cultured fish and shellfish, with emphasis on gamete quality, spawning, early development, multiple-stressor interactions and reproductive resilience. Environmental management, broodstock selection, nutrition, acclimation, selective breeding, biomarker-based monitoring and climate-resilient hatchery technologies are considered potential approaches for sustaining reproductive performance under future environmental conditions.

Climate-Smart Integrated Pest Management for Insect Pests under Warming and Climatic Variability: A Critical Narrative Review

Sachin Kumar — 2026-09-30

Insect pests already remove a substantial share of attainable crop yield, and climate change is altering the conditions under which integrated pest management (IPM) was designed to operate. Rising mean temperatures, greater thermal variability, more frequent heat and drought extremes, and elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide act simultaneously on pest development, host-plant quality, natural enemies and the performance of control tactics. This critical narrative review evaluates whether, and under what conditions, IPM can be redesigned to remain effective in a warming and increasingly variable climate, and examines what the concept of climate-smart pest management adds to established IPM principles. Peer-reviewed literature and authoritative institutional reports were identified through structured searches of multidisciplinary and life-science indexes, supplemented by citation tracking, and were appraised for design, scale, ecological realism and relevance to decision-making. The synthesis indicates that evidence is strongest for temperature-driven acceleration of development, additional generations per season and poleward or upslope range change in many pests, although responses are heterogeneous and frequently non-linear. Evidence is weaker and more context-dependent for the net effects of warming on biological control, where thermal asymmetry and phenological mismatch between pests and their natural enemies can erode suppression in some systems but not in others. Laboratory studies consistently show that temperature and its daily fluctuation modify insecticide toxicity, whereas field-scale consequences for control failure and resistance evolution remain poorly quantified. Diversified cropping, push–pull systems, shade trees and complex landscapes show promise as adaptation measures, but several proposed adaptations remain supported mainly by mechanistic, laboratory, short-term or geographically concentrated evidence rather than multi-season field evaluation. The principal unresolved problems concern the reliability of forecasting tools that ignore thermal variability, the absence of climate-responsive economic thresholds, and weak evaluation of adoption, equity and long-term outcomes. The review concludes that climate-smart IPM is best understood not as a new paradigm but as a demanding re-specification of prevention, monitoring, decision rules and evaluation, whose credibility will depend on multi-season, multi-site field evidence rather than on conceptual endorsement.

Alternative Feed Ingredients and the Quality of Poultry Meat and Eggs: A Critical Narrative Review of Insects, Food By-Products and Novel Protein Sources

Manaswini Sharma — 2026-09-30

Poultry production depends heavily on soybean meal, fishmeal and cereal grains, and the search for alternative feed ingredients has intensified because of concerns about resource use, feed–food competition and price volatility. Most research on these ingredients has prioritised growth performance and nutrient digestibility, whereas their consequences for the quality of meat and eggs, which determine consumer acceptance and market value, have received less integrated attention. This critical narrative review evaluates how three groups of alternative ingredients, namely insect-derived meals, oils and live larvae; food by-products, including former food products, distillers dried grains with solubles and fruit and vegetable pomaces; and novel protein sources, including microalgae, single-cell proteins, duckweed and seaweed, affect the physicochemical, nutritional, sensory and safety attributes of poultry meat and eggs. Peer-reviewed literature was identified through structured searches of multidisciplinary and life-science indexes, supplemented by citation tracking and authoritative institutional sources, and was appraised for design, inclusion level, replication and outcome validity. The synthesis indicates that moderate inclusion of insect meals generally preserves carcass traits, meat colour stability, water-holding capacity and sensory acceptability, whereas the lipid fraction of black soldier fly larvae consistently shifts meat and yolk fatty acids towards greater saturation. Yolk pigmentation is the most reproducible egg response across insects, distillers grains, grape pomace and microalgae, but eggshell responses are contradictory. Polyphenol-rich by-products improve oxidative stability more reliably than they change composition, and microalgae provide the clearest route to omega-3 enrichment, at the cost of greater oxidative susceptibility and, at high inclusion, impaired performance. Confidence in these conclusions is limited by small replicate numbers, short feeding periods, poorly characterised ingredients, inconsistent reference diets and scarce evaluation of sensory quality, contaminant transfer and consumer response. Rearing substrate, processing method and inclusion level emerge as the main determinants of product quality, so ingredient standardisation is as important as further efficacy testing. Alternative ingredients can support poultry product quality, but their value depends on matching ingredient composition to explicit quality targets rather than on replacement of conventional proteins alone.

Gene Expression Analysis of Major Antioxidant Genes in PBMC during Various Stages of Lactation in Pandharpuri Buffalo

Sameer N. Jadhav — 2026-09-24

Lactation in the indigenous Pandharpuri buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is a physiologically demanding period characterised by drastic metabolic shifts that generate excess reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to oxidative stress. This study aimed to evaluate the relative gene expression of major antioxidant genes within peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) across non-lactating (dry), early-, mid-, and late-lactation stages. PBMCs serve as effective, minimally invasive sensors for observing systemic physiological status and cellular stress responses. Blood samples were collected from four groups of eight female buffaloes to measure the transcript abundance of Catalase (CAT), Superoxide Dismutases (SOD1, SOD2, SOD3), and Glutathione Peroxidases (GPX1, GPX2, GPX3). Using non-lactating buffaloes as a baseline, the data revealed a highly coordinated, stage-specific antioxidant response. The early-lactation phase emerged as the most oxidatively challenging window, characterised by a massive upregulation of frontline defence genes CAT, SOD1, and GPX1. As lactation progressed, expression patterns shifted; cytoplasmic SOD1 accumulated linearly, peaking during late lactation, while extracellular SOD3 peaked in mid-lactation. In contrast, GPX3 showed an initial early peak but was subsequently downregulated in later stages. These findings indicate that, while acute mitochondrial stress is managed early postpartum, systemic oxidative stress persists heavily into late lactation. Characterising this transcriptomic profile provides critical insights into the metabolic resilience of the Pandharpuri breed and highlights the potential for stage-specific nutritional interventions to mitigate oxidative stress and preserve animal health. This study will help to understand the antioxidant pathway governing the lactational response. Further correlation with oxidative stress markers can be crucial in formulating nutritional strategies to combat oxidative stress during different lactational phases in Pandharpuri buffaloes.

Seasonal Incidence of Asian Citrus Psyllid (Diaphorina citri Kuwayama) on Kinnow Mandarin and Its Relationship with Abiotic Factors in Bundelkhand Region of Uttar Pradesh

Raju Kumar Verma — 2026-09-26

The present study was conducted to determine the seasonal incidence of D. citri on Kinnow mandarin and its relationship with prevailing abiotic factors under the agro-climatic conditions of the Bundelkhand region in Banda district, Uttar Pradesh, India. The experiment was conducted at the College of Horticulture, Banda University of Agriculture and Technology, Banda, during two consecutive years, 2024-25 and 2025-26. The study aimed to determine the seasonal prevalence of D. citri on Kinnow mandarin and its relationship with prevailing climatic factors in the Bundelkhand region. Weekly observations were recorded on five randomly selected Kinnow trees, with five twigs sampled from each direction on each tree, and the number of nymphs per twig was calculated. The nymphal population of D. citri ranged from 0.00 to 37.10 nymphs twig^-1 in 2024 and from 0.00 to 39.50 nymphs twig^-1 in 2025. Nymphal incidence first appeared during the 8^th and 9^th SMWs of February, with 0.90 and 1.25 nymphs twig^-1, respectively, and peak incidence was recorded in the 42^nd SMW, with 37.10 and 39.50 nymphs twig^-1 during 2024-25 and 2025-26, respectively. Correlation analysis indicated significant positive associations between nymphal population and maximum temperature (r = 0.435*) and minimum temperature (r = 0.469*) in 2024; relative humidity also showed a significant positive association (r = 0.425*). In 2025, significant positive correlations were observed with maximum temperature (r = 0.457*), minimum temperature (r = 0.453*), and relative humidity (r = 0.420*). Rainfall showed a negative but non-significant association with psyllid population in both 2024 (r = -0.253^NS) and 2025 (r = -0.038^NS).

Effect of Sowing Dates on Honeybee Visitation and Yield Attributes of Niger [Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass.]

Dwarka — 2026-09-29

A field experiment was conducted during Kharif 2021 at the Experimental Farm, PC Unit Sesame & Niger, College of Agriculture, JNKVV, Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, India. The present investigation evaluated the influence of different sowing dates on the abundance and foraging activity of honey bees and their relationship with the yield and productivity of niger. Six sowing dates were evaluated as treatments: 15 July (T1), 25 July (T2), 5 August (T3), 15 August (T4), 25 August (T5) and 5 September (T6). Observations on bee abundance revealed considerable variation among flowering stages and sowing dates. Among the pollinators, Apis florea exhibited comparatively greater abundance, with an overall mean population of 2.40 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹, whereas Apis mellifera recorded a mean population of 0.64 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹. The highest population of A. florea (4.58 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹) was recorded in the 15 August sowing at 17 days after flowering, while A. mellifera attained its maximum population of 2.58 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹ under the same sowing treatment at 45 days after flowering. The other indigenous honey bees, A. cerana indica and A. dorsata, also exhibited marked temporal variation, with mean populations of 1.05 and 7.17 bees m⁻² 5 min⁻¹, respectively. The maximum population of A. dorsata was recorded during the peak flowering period, indicating its substantial contribution to floral resource exploitation and potential pollination activity. Sowing date significantly influenced crop productivity and yield attributes. The highest number of capitula plant⁻¹ (129.45), seeds capitulum⁻¹ (51.68), seed yield (628 kg ha⁻¹) and 1000-seed weight (4.53 g) were recorded with the 15 July sowing, whereas the lowest values were observed with the 5 September sowing. The findings demonstrate that an appropriate sowing time favourably synchronises flowering with pollinator activity under suitable environmental conditions, thereby enhancing the reproductive efficiency and seed productivity of niger. The results highlight the importance of integrating optimum sowing time with pollinator-friendly crop management for the sustainable improvement of niger productivity.

Dietary Quercetin Pretreatment Protects against UV-C Radiation-Induced Seizure Vulnerability, Motor, and Visual Biomarker Impairments in Drosophila melanogaster

Susmita Majumder — 2026-09-29

Background: UV radiation is a type of non-ionising radiation that is ubiquitous in the environment and becomes hazardous with prolonged exposure. It can instigate progressive neurobehavioural impairment primarily through reactive oxygen species-mediated nervous system toxicity.

Aims: This study evaluated the radioprotective efficacy of flavonoid quercetin pretreatment against radiation-induced mechanical-shock, motor, and visual deficits in adult Drosophila melanogaster.

Study Design: This study evaluated the radioprotective effects of quercetin against UV-C radiation. Post-UV-exposure recovery was quantified across mechanical-shock, locomotor, phototactic, and geotactic domains using behavioural tests and biological markers.

Place and Duration of Study: Graduate and Postgraduate Department of Zoology, Asutosh College, Kolkata-700026, and Dinabandhu Andrews College, Kolkata-700084, West Bengal, India, between January 2025 and June 2026.

Methodology: This study used a four-cohort comparative design (control, quercetin-pretreated, UV-C-treated, and quercetin-pretreated then UV-C-treated) in Drosophila melanogaster. The larvae and adult flies received a quercetin-supplemented diet (100μM) before exposure to UV-C radiation (360J/m²) for 120 seconds. Important functional biomarkers—adult locomotor (climbing) activity, seizure recovery, positive phototaxis, and negative geotaxis behaviours—were systematically quantified alongside biomarker-based assessments.

Results: Exposure to UV-C radiation severely affected climbing activity, delayed recovery after seizure shock, and disrupted the adult flies’ phototactic and geotactic preferences. Dietary quercetin pretreatment significantly ameliorated the disrupted geotactic-phototactic preference pattern, retained substantial locomotor activity, and resulted in faster post-seizure recovery.

Conclusion: Quercetin helps to mitigate impairment in age-dependent locomotor activity and recovery after mechanical shock injury and to restore phototactic and geotactic preferences in Drosophila melanogaster. Protection of these physical, motor, and sensory behavioural biomarkers highlights quercetin's potential to counteract UV-induced damage.

Influence of Hydrographic Conditions on Ichthyofaunal Diversity and Fishery Dynamics in the Vamsadhara Estuary, Andhra Pradesh, India

Ravikumar Yabaji — 2026-09-29

The Vamsadhara estuary (Kalingapatnam coast, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh) is a biologically productive estuarine system supporting diverse ichthyofauna and important artisanal fisheries. This study synthesises hydrographic conditions (salinity gradients, temperature regimes, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and freshwater discharge) and their influence on fish community composition, seasonal recruitment patterns, and fishery yields. We compiled field surveys, recent species checklists, fisheries landing data, and hydrological records up to January 2026 and combined them with satellite-based observations and local socio-economic assessments. Our synthesis shows that estuarine hydrography — driven by seasonal monsoon river discharge (Vamsadhara and upstream catchment dynamics), tidal mixing, and episodic weather extremes — structures ichthyofaunal zonation, nursery use by marine migrants, and seasonal shifts in species assemblages. More than 90 taxa are recorded from the Kalingapatnam freshwater–tidal stretch, with Perciformes, Siluriformes and Clupeiformes prominent in catches and estuarine samples. Salinity stratification and turbidity peaks during monsoon months correspond to higher juvenile abundance of estuarine-dependent species and influxes of shrimp post-larvae, while low-flow dry months favour marine migrant exit and adult feeding aggregations. Fisheries landings and socio-economic records reveal that artisanal gears (gillnets, stake nets, ring seines) are tailored to these seasonal dynamics; however, shifts in seasonal hydrography (e.g., altered monsoon timing and river discharge variability) have produced interannual variability in landings and livelihood risk. We conclude that maintaining estuarine connectivity, managing upstream flow regimes, and integrating hydrographic monitoring into fishery management are essential to sustain biodiversity and local fisheries. Key research priorities include long-term hydrographic time-series, fine-scale nursery habitat mapping, and adaptive fisheries governance that accounts for hydrological variability.

Baseline Toxicity of Selected Insecticides against Third Instar Larvae of Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith)

Angothu Krishnaveni — 2026-10-01

The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), is an invasive maize pest for which reliable baseline susceptibility data are required to support insecticide selection and resistance monitoring. This laboratory study compared the toxicity of five commonly used insecticides—emamectin benzoate 5 SG, chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC, spinetoram 11.7 SC, spinosad 45 SC, and flubendiamide 480 SC—against third-instar larvae. Uniform larvae obtained from a laboratory culture were exposed to insecticide-treated maize leaf pieces using a leaf-dip bioassay. Each concentration comprised four replicates of 20 larvae, and mortality was assessed 48 hours after treatment. Corrected mortality data were subjected to probit analysis to estimate median lethal concentration (LC₅₀) values. The tested insecticides differed considerably in toxicity. Emamectin benzoate 5 SG was the most toxic, with the lowest LC₅₀ value of 0.13 ppm. It was followed by chlorantraniliprole 18.5 SC (2.61 ppm), spinetoram 11.7 SC (3.69 ppm), spinosad 45 SC (5.47 ppm), and flubendiamide 480 SC (56.37 ppm). The laboratory population was therefore most susceptible to emamectin benzoate and least susceptible to flubendiamide under the experimental conditions. These LC₅₀ estimates provide baseline information for subsequent susceptibility monitoring and may support the selection and rotation of insecticides with different modes of action within integrated insecticide-resistance-management programmes.

Histological Changes in the Duodenum across Postnatal Developmental Stages of Indian Domestic Pig (Sus scrofa domesticus)

M. Gayathri — 2026-10-01

The present study characterised age-related histological changes in the duodenum of Indian domestic pigs across three postnatal developmental stages. Duodenal tissue from 18 Indian domestic pigs was categorised into three age groups: Group I (piglets, 0–4 weeks; n=6), Group II (weaners, >4–10 weeks; n=6), and Group III (>10 weeks; n=6). Tissues from the duodenum were collected and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and Bouin’s fluid, processed for paraffin embedding, and sectioned at 5–6 µm. Histological evaluation employed Haematoxylin–Eosin for general architecture, Masson’s Trichrome for collagen–muscle differentiation, Wilder’s method for reticular fibres, and Weigert’s stain for elastic fibres. The duodenal wall consistently exhibited four tunics (mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa) across all age groups. Duodenal villi progressed from slender, tongue-shaped structures at birth to tall, ridge-like forms with broad bases and pointed apices. Enterocytes were columnar and displayed prominent brush borders, while connective tissue support (collagen, reticular, and elastic fibres) increased from Group I to Group III. Goblet cell density and intraepithelial lymphocyte counts in the mucosa increased with age, particularly in crypt regions. Paneth cells were absent at birth but appeared from day 21 onwards and became more abundant in older groups. The lamina muscularis mucosae thickened progressively, while plicae circulares became evident from day 7 and increased in prominence with age. Brunner’s glands, sparse and isolated at birth, formed compact lobules by day 13 and dominated the submucosa in weaners and adult pigs, especially in the cranial duodenum. Connective tissue fibres intensity (collagen, reticular, and elastic) increased in all layers with advancing age. The tunica muscularis consisted of inner circular and outer longitudinal smooth muscle layers with intervening connective tissue containing myenteric plexuses, while the tunica serosa formed the outermost covering, with loose connective tissue, blood capillaries, nerves, variable adipose tissue, and external flat mesothelium. These age-related histological changes in the duodenum represent functional adaptation to postnatal digestive, absorptive, and immune demands, providing a baseline for porcine models and comparative monogastric studies.

In silico Homology Modeling, Quality Validation, and Molecular Docking Analysis of Hemocyanins from Scylla olivacea and Scylla serrata

Prasanthi Ch — 2026-10-01

Hemocyanins play a crucial role in oxygen transport and innate immune defence in decapod crustaceans. Due to the lack of experimentally resolved three-dimensional structures for hemocyanins from Scylla olivacea and Scylla serrata, this study employed homology modelling and molecular docking approaches to construct, validate, and evaluate their molecular interactions. Sequence data obtained via tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) were aligned using BLASTp and ClustalW. Theoretical 3D models were built using MODELLER based on template structures from Panulirus interruptus (PDB ID: 1HC1) and Panulirus japonicus (PDB ID: 6L8S). Model evaluation via PROCHECK demonstrated high stereochemical quality, with 87.8% and 86.9% of residues occupying the most favoured regions of the Ramachandran plot for S. olivacea hemocyanin protein (SOHP) and S. serrata hemocyanin protein (SSHP), respectively. Structural superimposition yielded root-mean-square deviations (RMSD) of 0.271 Å (SOHP vs. 1HC1) and 0.593 Å (SSHP vs. 6L8S). Molecular docking with AutoDock Vina revealed robust binding affinities toward reactive oxygen species (H2O2), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), bacterial peptidoglycan constituents (N-acetylglucosamine [NAG] and N-acetylmuramic acid [NAM]), and fungal cell wall component (β-glucan). SSHP exhibited more favourable binding energies towards NAG (−8.1 kcal/mol) and β-glucan (−7.8 kcal/mol), whereas SOHP showed a slightly more favourable binding energy towards NAM (−6.7 kcal/mol). Active site interaction analysis identified key catalytic residues involved in hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic contacts. These structural insights clarify the pathogen-recognition and physiological capabilities of mud crab hemocyanins.