INT J CURR SCI 2012, 120-124
SHORT COMMUNICATION
ISSN 2250-1770
Insecticide (profenofos) induced biochemical changes in the fresh water fish Catla catla
Yazhini Jagadeesana and Sheela Darcusb
a
Department of Zoology, Quaid-E-Millath Government College For Women, Chennai-600 002, India
b
Bharathidasan University, Tiruchy, India
*Corresponding author: E-mail: [email protected]; Phone: +91-9841400938
Abstract
The widely used organophosphate pesticide profenofos is a potential toxicant polluting the aquatic system was
experimented at its sublethal concentration. Catla catla was selected as the animal model for this study. The acute toxicity test
(96 hrs LC50) was derived as 0.6 ppm using the log-probit graphical analysis method. From this value the sub acute
concentrations (0.015, 0.030 and 0.06 ppm) were selected for experimentation where there was a dose dependent decrease in the
protein, carbohydrate and cholesterol levels in the muscle samples of the commercially important fish, Catla catla.
Keywords: insecticide, fresh water, Catla catla
Received: 29th December; Revised: 15th January; Accepted: 24th January; © IJCS New Liberty Group 2012
Introduction
Materials and methods
Pesticides occupy a rather unique position among
Live Catla catla were procured from hatcheries.
the many chemicals that man encounters daily, in that they
The animals were 4-5 gms. Healthy fishes were carefully
are deliberately added to the environment for the purpose
packed in a medium sized polythene bag with sufficient
of killing or injuring some form of life. Most of the
oxygen which would help them to carry on their normal
chemicals that are used as pesticides are generally toxic to
processes of metabolic activities during their period of
many nontarget species, including man, and other desirable
transportation. On arrival the fishes were carefully
forms of life that coinhabit the environment. The mortality
transformed into large plastic tubs.
rate attributed to poisoning by pesticides has been
acclimatization in the normal laboratory conditions for a
estimated at 0.65 per one million population in the United
period of ten days. During this period standard formulated
States (Hayes, 1969). Acute poisonings by pesticides do
feed was given to all the fish as per the conditions
occur by exposure of humans and other nontarget species to
suggested by Behunger (1973). After acclimatization the
pesticides by direct contact with materials at the site of
fish were weighted totally and individually and then
application. In recent years, exposures to pesticides in far
transformed into the treatment tubs carefully. The fishes
remote areas from the source of application are also
were exposed to different acute concentrations of
possible. Many of the chemical pesticides reach the aquatic
Profenofos 50% Ec (0-4-bromo-2-chlorophenyl 0-ethyl S-
ecosystem and impair the growth, development and
propyl phosphorothioate) to arrive at LC50.The LC50 was
survival of many non-targeted organisms including the
determined
commercially important organisms like fishs. Therefore the
(1971).Based on the results of the acute toxicity study, with
commonly
insecticide
a LC50 value of 0.6 ppm doses of sub acute value of
profenofo’s cumulative toxic impact was studied on a fresh
Profenofos 50% E.C. were selected for subacute exposure
water fish Catla Catla.
following the procedure of Desi et al. (1985). The fishs
practicing
organophosphate
following
the
They were left for
procedure
of
Finney
Yazhini Jagadeesan and Sheela Darcus, 2012
were grouped into three treated and one control. In each
Fig 2. Estimation of Carbohydrate in the muscle sample of
tubs 10 prawns were released. In the experimental set up
Catla catla
profenofos sub acute values of 0.015, 0.030 and 0.06 ppm
were added to the tubs. The exposed fishs were sample
after at long duration intervals of 7 and 14 days
respectively .Muscle sample from the experimental fishs
were dissected out by sacrificing the fishs at different
intervals. Muscle being the edible portion of the fish energy
yielding substances like protein (Lowry et al. (1951) with
Folin-Phenol reagent), carbohydrate (Anthrone method
Roe, 1955) and cholesterol (Allain, 1974). in the muscle
were analysed using standard procedures .
Results
The LC50 value of Profenofos for Catla catla was
0.6 ppm.The subacute concentrations were 0.015 ppm,
Fig 3. Estimation of Cholesterol in the muscle samples of
Catla catla
0.030 ppm and 0.06 ppm were chosen as the experimental
concentrations. The long term exposures in these
concentrations invariably showed a dose dependent
reduction in the levels of the various biochemical
parameters such as Protein (Fig. 1), Carbohydrate (Fig. 2)
and Cholesterol (Fig 3).
Fig 1. Estimation of Protein in the muscle sample of Catla
catla
The effect of pesticides on aquatic life is often
acute resulting in mass mortality of animals or chronic
changes in behaviour and reduction in rates of survival,
growth and reproduction. Chronic effects of pesticides may
include histological and physiological changes in aquatic
animals (Konar, 1981). Most of the chemicals that are used
as pesticides are not only target specific but are generally
toxic to many non-target species, including man (Murphy,
1969, 1981). Gupta and Salumbhe (1985) have advocated
Discussions
that subacute studies are valuable in determining the sub
Application of pesticides has become inevitable
lethal effects of a chemical as to whether it has the potential
to protect the crop plants from pest and diseases. Pesticides
for cumulative toxicity. The results obtained from the study
reach water bodies either by direct application or indirectly.
of the toxic effects of profenofos in a freshwater fish
The indirect sources include run-off from agricultural
Catala catla are discussed in the light of the findings of
fields, spray drifts, rain water (Bhaskaran, 1980).
various investigations.
Yazhini Jagadeesan and Sheela Darcus, 2012
Behaviour
study:
The
fishes
exposed
to
different
toxicants is due to the fact that carbohydrate forms the
concentrations of profenofos were observed for toxicity
immediate source of energy that combant the stress caused
signs. Darkening of the body colour from gray to black was
by the toxicant. Similar decreases were recorded in the
observed. The fishes also exhibited loss of equilibrium. It is
Indian cat fish Heteropneustes fossilis exposed to a
likely that some region in the brain associated with
synthetic pyrethroid (Alam Ansari and Kumar, 1988).
maintenance of equilibrium must have been damaged due
Decrease levels of Total free sugar were reported in all the
to the impact of the pesticides. High rate of activity and
regions of brain except cerebral hemisphere of Labeo
lower feeding rates with increased pesticides concentration
rohita and in the medulla oblongata and in the spinal cord
were also observed in the present study. This coincides
of Labeo and carpio community when exposed to
with the work done by Surendranath et al. (1987) on the
concentration of Phosalone (Ravi, 1984). Cholesterols are
impact of kelthane induced behavioural changes in
derivatives of fats and lipids a decrease in the level of lipid
Metapenaus monoceros.
in the present study have occured due to the use of these
Biochemical analysis: The biochemical analysis of the
fats as alternative source of energy. Similar results were
present study reveals a significant decrease in all the
observed in the fish Saratheodon mossambicus exposed to
biochemical parameters. The total protein concentration in
methyl parathion (Rao and Rao, 1981) and in Barbus
the present study reveals a significant decrease in the level
chonchonius exposed to aldicarb (Pant and Tewari, 1987).
of proteins in the fishes treated with profenofos. Proteins
Thus the present study suggest that there is a considerable
are the most abundant of the carbon containing compound
reduction in the proteins ,carbohydrate and cholesterol
in all the living organisms (Parameswaran et al., 1987). It is
content in the muscle of the fish Catla catla when exposed
the dominant biochemical constituent in the tissues of fishs
to sublethal concentrations of insecticides. Thus this will
(Pillay and Nair, 1973). Holbrook (1980) stated that the
reduce the nutritional value of such economically important
toxicant may directly cease protein synthesis.
edible fish deteoriating their quality and at the same time
Proteins are considered to be important, because
will become hazardas to the consumers due to its
the food value of the fish directly depends upon its
bioaccumulation of the pesticide incorporated in it.
quantity, (Jhingran, 1969). They play an important role in
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