Antioxidant markers in gills, liver and muscle tissue of the African Sharptooth Catfish (Clarias gariepinus) exposed to subchronic levels of Ibuprofen and Dibutyl phthalate

Abstract

The increasing influx of various emerging pollutants into the aquatic environment has become topical in recent times. This study was carried out to investigate the sublethal toxicity of ibuprofen (IBP) and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) on antioxidant markers in Clarias gariepinus exposed for 30 days. The results showed that SOD activity was significantly induced in the exposed fishes throughout the study period for both toxicants. CAT activity was induced significantly in the liver throughout the study period. In contrast, in the gill, there was an initial significant increase, followed by a significant inhibition as the study progressed for both toxicants. The GST activity was significantly induced in the liver and the gills of fishes exposed to both toxicants.In contrast, there was a significant increase in the GST activity in the muscle tissue of fish exposed to both toxicants in the first 15 days; afterward, there was a significant decrease in fish exposed to 0.2 mg/L of DBP. The GSH activity was significantly reduced in all sampled organs exposed to both toxicants at the end of the study period, although there was a significant increase in the GSH activity in fishes exposed to both toxicants at 15 days. The LPO in all sampled organs was significantly inhibited at 15 days of exposure to both toxicants. It was then followed by a significant increase at the end of the study period. This study's findings have shown that IBP and DBP at very low concentrations can elicit oxidative stress by altering antioxidant markers, leading to a high incidence of lipid peroxidation, thus, disrupting the normal functioning of the cell membranes.

Keywords

• Ibuprofen
• Di butyl phthalate
• Oxidative stress
• Clarias gariepinus