Oxidative and cellular metabolic stress of Oreochromis mossambicus as biomarkers indicators of trace element contaminants.

Antioxidative status, cellular metabolic stress and neurotransmitter enzyme assay as a pollution biomarker in Oreochromis mossambicus collected from Bhima river were investigated. O. mossambicus was collected from 18 different sites of Bhima river, which differ in their extent and type of contamination load. The antioxidative status were determined such as catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-s-transferase (GST) in the liver, gill, brain, gonad and kidney. All the studied parameters indicated potent signals for contamination of the aquatic water body. The antioxidative status was substantially high (p < 0.01) in the fish collected from Bhima river. The cellular stress enzymes such as lactate dehdrogenase (LDH), and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) in liver, gill, brain, gonad and muscle were remarkably (p < 0.01) elevated in O. mossambicus collected from Bhima river. The brain acetylcholine esterase (AChE) was noticeably inhibited (p < 0.01) whereas lipid peroxide (LPO) elevated in fish collected from a few sites. We also used morphological study as biomarkers indicators such as condition factor (CF), hepatosomatic index (HSI), gonadosomatic index (GSI). The results of condition factor and gonadosomatic index are significantly (p < 0.01) poor and hepatosomatic index was significantly (p < 0.01) elevated in O. mossambicus. The finding of the present investigation provides a rational application of oxidative stress, cellular stress, neurotransmitter, lipid peroxide and some morphological parameters to be used as biomarkers for biomonitoring the contamination of trace elements in polluted aquatic environment.