BIOMARKERS OF OXIDATIVE STRESS IN CRUCIAN CARP AND PIKE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF COBALT IONS

V. S. Markiv

Abstract


Over the past decades, the process of urbanisation and industrialisation has resulted in elevated concentrations of heavy metals in aquatic ecosystems. Metal ions are among the most destructive pollutants in aquatic ecosystems due to their bioaccumulation, biomagnification, persistence, and ability to interact with numerous biological components. It is an established fact that fish are constantly exposed to heavy metals in water. This fact is of particular significance when considering their widespread use as model organisms in ecotoxicological studies. The present study investigates the effects of cobalt ions on the gills, liver and muscles of crucian carp (Carassius gibelio (Bloch, 1782)) and pike (Esox lucius Linnaeus, 1758) over a 14-day period.
The study utilises analytical techniques to assess oxidative stress indicators in the aforementioned species, with concentrations of cobalt ions ranging from 0.1 mg/dm³ to 0.25 mg/dm³. It has been established that the toxic effect of cobalt has a common mechanism, but leads to different physiological consequences in the studied fish. Cobalt is categorised as a transition metal, which are known to generate active forms of oxygen through Fenton reactions. It has been demonstrated that aquatic organisms exhibit a response to elevated levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by means of enhancing the regulation of their antioxidant defence system, a process that involves non-enzymatic and enzymatic components. The results demonstrated that crucian carp exhibited a higher threshold of oxidative depletion, thereby maintaining antioxidant integrity under the conditions of the study. An increase in total glutathione content and a decrease in lipid peroxidation were found in the liver and muscles of crucian carp. Pike reacts as a sensitive bioindicator of the toxic effects of cobalt ions. This results in the depletion of the overall defence system and the induction of peroxide oxidation of lipids in the studied tissues, which directly causes damage to the membrane structure.
The impact of elevated metal concentrations on the catalase activity of the liver and glutathione-S-transferase in the gills of pike was examined. The results demonstrated that while catalase activity increased, total glutathione levels in these tissues decreased. In the muscles of pike, despite an increase in lipid peroxidation, an increase in the content of total glutathione was found. The data obtained are of significance in understanding the impact of cobalt ions on aquatic ecosystems and can be used to develop environmental standards and control measures for the pollution of water bodies with this metal.

Keywords


hydrobionts; biomarkers; ecotoxicology; oxidative stress; antioxidants, lipid peroxidation; cumulative effect; metals; cobalt

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.25128/2078-2357.25.3.2

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