Effect of three different anticoagulants and storage time on haematological parameters of Mugil cephalus (Linneaus, 1758)

Anticoagulants and storage time’s effect on haemogram and differential leukocyte count in 26 Mugil cephalus was investigated. After blood collection, samples were put, in three microtubes containing respectively: ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA), heparin, sodium citrate. Analysis were assessed immediately (T0) and 24 h (refrigerated at +4°C) after collection (T24). Statistical analysis showed: significant higher levels of haematocrict (Hct) and haemoglobin (Hb) and lower levels of thrombocytes count (TC) in EDTA (P<0.001) than heparin and sodium citrate treated samples at T0 and T24; white blood cell (WBC) and Lymphocytes values were lower (P<0.05) in sodium citrate than with EDTA and heparin treated samples at T24, while Monocytes levels were higher (P<0.05) in sodium citrate than EDTA and heparin treated samples at T24. Statistical analysis showed also a significant effect of storage time (P<0.01) on TC, Monocytes, Neutrophils, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) which statistically increase from T0 to T24, while WBC and Lymphocytes statistically decrease from T0 to T24. These finding demonstrate that EDTA showed higher reliability as anticoagulant for this fish and that haematological determinations can be assessed within 24h hours from collection, because storage time modifies analysis’s results.