Histopathological Evaluation of Muscle Tissue of Horse Mackerel (Trachurus trachurus, Linnaeus, 1758) in Çanakkale Strait

It is supported by studies that heavy metals and other water pollutants can reach humans through the food chain because of accumulation in organs of digestion, respiration, and muscles of fish, and may cause toxic effects depending on the amount of pollution and accumulation. This study was carried out by obtaining Horse mackerel samples from the Çanakkale Strait, which are fish species with high economic and nutritional value, as well as frequently consumed, seasonally (spring, summer, autumn, and winter). In the study, the tissues dissected from the dorsolateral muscles of the fresh fish were taken into Bouin's fixative, and sections were taken after routine histological follow-up. The findings revealed degenerative and inflammatory findings in the muscle tissues of fish caught especially in the autumn season. In addition, a statistically significant difference was found in autumn samples in terms of immunoreactivity (p<0.05).