Acetylcholinesterase: a potential biochemical indicator for biomonitoring of fertilizer industry effluent toxicity in freshwater teleost, Channa striatus

Abstract

Monitoring of acetylcholinesterase (EC: 3.1.1.7, AChE) activity has been widely used in aquatic and terrestrial systems as an indicator of pollutant exposure. The reports regarding impact of fertilizer industry effluent on the level of AChE activity are very scanty. In this paper, an attempt has been made to investigate the in vitro impact of fertilizer industry effluent upon the levels of AChE activity and protein content in different tissues of non-target aquatic fish, Channa striatus (Bloch). The fish when exposed to three sublethal concentrations (3.5, 4.7, and 7.0%; v/v) of fertilizer industry effluent for short (96 h) and long (15 days) durations registered sharp reduction in the levels of AChE activity (15-75%) and protein (10-71%) in different fish organs. The highest effluent concentration treatment for short or long duration, the fish brain and gills registered significant (P < 0.001) inhibition (64-75%) in the activity of AChE whereas other organs such as muscles, liver, and heart exhibited slightly lower inhibition (40-59%) in enzyme activity. However, kidney of C. striatus was the only organ where very less effect (14-18%) of the effluent was observed on the activity of AChE when the fish were exposed to all the three concentrations of the effluent for both treatment durations. This effluent also induced alterations in the level of protein in different fish organs; in kidney the effect was pronounced only at higher concentrations at both treatment durations. The most affected organs were muscle and gills where in 60-71% reduction in the protein content was recorded due to highest effluent concentration treatment at short or long durations. The results of present study indicated that the fertilizer industry effluents might significantly influence the neurotransmission system and protein turnover in the non-target organisms after exposure even at very low concentrations. Further, the data suggested that the fish AChE could be used as a potential biochemical marker for fertilizer industry effluent pollution in aquatic systems.

Water quality assessment in piracicamirim creek upstream and downstream a sugar and ethanol industry through toxicity tests with cladocerans

“…Arimoro (2009) reported a drastic reduction of benthic macroinverbrate species after the discharge effluent of a rubber industry. Yadav et al (2009) correlated the effect of effluents from the fertilizer industry with reduced levels of acetylcholinesterase from various organs of the fish species Channa striatus. Assessing the toxic effects of industrial effluents, Radic' et al (2010) observed growth inhibition and chlorophyll levels in duckweed (Lemna L. minor).…”

Short communication: Rapid <i>in vitro</i> tests to determine the toxicity of raw wastewater and treated sewage effluents

“…Many of these pollutants are persistent in the environment and are not readily biodegraded (Wepener et al, 2001;Yadav et al, 2009).…”

“…Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been used as a biomarker to determine neurotoxic contaminants in the aquatic environment (Yadav et al, 2009). AChE is the enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, to form choline and acetic acid (Sakar et al, 2006).…”

“…AChE is the enzyme that catalyses the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, to form choline and acetic acid (Sakar et al, 2006). Many natural toxins and man-made poisons play a part in neurotoxicity by inhibiting the enzyme AChE (Yadav et al, 2009). These pollutants include organophosphates, heavy metals and carbamate insecticides.…”

“…The inhibition of AChE has been extensively used to determine exposure to anticholinesterase agents (Menezes et al, 2009). AChE activity has been assessed in various aquatic organisms exposed to fertiliser industry effluents and secondary treated industrial effluents (Ghedira et al, 2009;Wepener et al, 2005;Yadav et al, 2009).…”