Impact of distillery effluent on carbohydrate metabolism of freshwater fish, Cyprinus carpio.

The impact of distillery effluent on carbohydrate metabolism of Cyprinus carpio was studied at different days during exposure (7, 14, and 21 days) in the ambient temperature of 28 +/- 1 degrees C. Oxygen consumption in fish decreased with increasing effluent concentrations as well as duration of exposure. Effluent concentrations and exposure durations (days) had a significant effect on oxygen consumption of tested fish (p < 0.0005). Total carbohydrate, glycogen content and SDH enzyme activity in muscle, liver and brain tissues of C. carpio exposed to different sublethal concentrations decreased gradually and significantly. This was also the case with exposure duration. Reduction in glycogen content was greater in liver tissue i.e., 54.1% in 0.2% effluent concentration on the 21st day of exposure. However, serum glucose and lactic acid content showed an increasing trend with increase in effluent concentration and time of exposure. Unlike SDH, LDH enzyme activity of muscle, liver and brain tissues showed an increasing trend and the enhancement of enzyme activity was more in liver tissue (71.3%). From these results, it could be inferred that respiratory processes in C. carpio under distillery effluent stress was affected resulting in a shift towards anaerobiosis at organ level during sublethal intoxication.