EFFECT OF ORGANOPHOSPHATE FENITROTHION ON BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS OF THE CRUSTACEAN MACROBRACHIUM BORELLII

LAVARÍAS, S.; GARCÍA, F.; CRESPO, R.; PEDRINI, N.; HERAS, H.

Potrero de los Funes, San Luis

Congreso; XLVII Reunión de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Bioquímica (SAIB); 2011

SAIB

Several agrochemicals like organophosphates are used in agricultural practices in Argentina. Although most of them have low persistence in aquatic ecosystems, they adversely affect non-target fauna. We evaluated metabolic alterations that could be used as pollution biomarkers in the area of Río de La Plata, using the prawn Macrobachium borellii exposed to the pesticide fenitrothion (FS) as a model. The digestive gland (DG) from adults exposed to sublethal concentrations (0.1 to 0.7 ppb) for 1 to 7 days was studied. The activity of catalase (CAT), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidation levels were determined. Inhibition of hemolymph acetylcholinesterase (ACT) and hemocyte DNA damage was also determined. SOD activity increased at 0.7 ppb FS on day 2 and 4. Exposure to 0.4 ppb FS increased CAT activity on day 1 and 4, while GST increased on day 2 and 7 in the DG of exposed prawn. LPO levels increased at 0.4 ppb except on day 7. Hemolymph analysis showed that while ACT activity decreased inversely with FS concentration after day 2, hemocytes displayed most DNA damage after 7 day exposure to FS. As a whole, these results indicate that though there is no correlation between these parameters and FS concentration and/or days of exposure, these biochemical parameters were highly sensitive and could be employed in the evaluation of FS aquatic pollution.