Effectiveness of Papaya Leaf Extract Immersion in Controlling Argulus Infestation on Comet Fish (Carassius auratus)

Abstract

Influenza outbreaks in aquaculture, coupled with the growing resistance to chemical antiparasitics,underscore the urgent need for safer botanical alternatives. Infestations for Argulus spp. lead to substantial stress and mortality in ornamental fish, yet effective and low-risk treatments remain scrace. Therrefore, this study evaluated the effectiveness of papaya (Carica papaya) leaf extract at different immersion durations in controlling Argulus infestation in comet fish (Carassius auratus). Sixty fish (4.94 ± 0.28 cm; 1.32 ± 0.22 g) were randomly distributed into 12 aquaria and infected with 120 Argulus spp. parasites. The experiment followed a completely randomized design with four immersion durations, 0, 45, 60, and 75 minutes, each replicated three times, using papaya leaf extract prepared by infusion at 14 mL/L. Immersion in the extract did not significantly affect fish survival, which remained high across treatments (93.33 ± 11.55% in the control and 100.00 ± 0.00% in all treated groups). However, Argulus detachment increased with immersion time, reaching 60.00 ± 10.00% at 75 minutes. Exposed parasites initially showed vigorous movement that weakened over time, eventually leading to detachment and immobility. These results indicate that a 75-minute immersion in 14 mL/L papaya leaf extract effectively induces parasite detachment and alleviates clinical symptoms without compromising fish survival, supporting its potential as a safe botanical antiparasitic for ornamental fish culture.