The effect of mercury accumulation on the intestinal glycosidase activity in perch Perca fluviatilis L. from aquatic bodies of European Russia with different pH

Abstract

The intestinal glycosidase activities and kinetic characteristics of carbohydrate hydrolysis change in different ways with mercury accumulation in the muscles of perch from aquatic bodies of European Russia. Amylolytic activity decreases in fish from aquatic bodies with a neutral pH with a growth in Hg content (0.05-0.30 mg per 1 kg fresh weight), whereas sucrase increases. A decrease in the Michaelis constant for car bohydrate hydrolysis reflects an adaptive increase in enzyme-substrate affinity. In fish from acid lakes, the muscle Hg accumulation amounts to 0.18-0.86 mg per 1 kg fresh weight. With a growth in Hg content, the glycosidase activities and enzyme-substrate affinity decrease in most cases, having a negative effect on the assimilation rate of the carbohydrate components of food.

Peculiarities of mercury content in the muscle tissue of fish of the Vologda Region

“…At present time there is an active research and evaluation of the state of fishery water bodies of the Vologda Region (specialty water objects of the Chagodoshcha area (2018), the Ustyuzhna area (2018), etc.) and another studied region of Russia, such as the Tomsk Region (2018), the Republic of Karelia (2004), the Murmansk Region (2004, 2018), etc., with the use of identification of mercury concentration in different species of fish [4][5][6][7][8][9][10]. However, mercury level in piscifauna of some lakes and watercourses of the Vologda Region (for example, in fish of minor water objects of the Kirillov area, such as Svyatoye and Borovskoye lakes) is staying unknown.…”