Physiology of host parasite relationship: effects on serum alkaline phosphatase levels of fish hosts parasitized by trypanosomes.

Serum alkaline phosphatase levels of five species of fresh water fish hosts were altered by trypanosome parasites. The loss in enzymatic activity ranged from 3.91% to 69.91% in the five species of infected fishes as compared to normal level in the healthy hosts. The maximal reduction in the enzymatic activity caused by trypanosomes was observed in the herbivore carp fish Cirrhina mrigala and the minimal loss in the fresh water shark Wallago attu.