COMPARATIVE SURVEY ON ANESTHETIZING EFFECTS OF MEDICINAL HERBS VALERIAN OFFICINALIS, MELISSA OFFICINALIS, PAPAVER SOMNIFERUM, AND PAPAVER BRACTEATUM ON GOLD FISH (CARASSIUS AURATUS)

Anesthetic drugs are widely used aquaculture farms and can create consumption problems for humans, so there is a great need to safer drugs. With regard to long record of herbal drugs consumption in Iran and their benefits, we survey the possibility of using Valerian officinalis, Melissa officinalis, Papaver somniferum, and Papaver bracteatum as fish anesthetic. We provided, processed, and made consistent extractions of Valerian officinalis (2, 3 4 g/lit), Melissa officinalis (5, 10, 15 g/lit), Papaver somniferum (0.85, 1.6, 3.2 g/lit) and Papaver bracteatum (0.3, 0.6, 0.9 g/lit). We selected 60 goldfish Carassius auratus in the weight range of 7.41±0/2 g, and the length range of 8.4±0/11cm and kept them in laboratory conditions under the same oxygen and temperature. The fish were divided into four groups each containing 15 fish and further into three subgroups of five fish each. During the experiments, two herbs Parpaver somniferum and Papaver bracteaturn were eliminated from statistical analysis because of biased results. We found a significant correlation between the required time to reach level 4 of anesthesia and recovery using Melissa officinalis (P<0.01). The required time to reach the level 4 of anesthesia and recovery using 10 and 15g1/it dosages of Melissa officinalis was significantly lower than 3 and 4g/lit dosages of Valerian officinalis (P<0.05).