Abstract
Biochemical markers are popular measure of toxic effects on organisms due to their fast response to stressor xenobiotics. In the present study, alterations in plasma alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphotase (ALP) and total antioxidant activities (TAA) have been investigated in response to the levels of heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Hg) in muscle and liver of Tilapia niloticus collected from three coastal locations in Alexandria, Egypt; namely; Kilo 21 (control group), Nubaria (Group I) and Umoum (Group II) drains during winter and summer of 2011. The results showed that ALT, AST and ALP increased significantly (p<0.01) in groups I and II indicating liver and heart damage. Whereas, the increased TAA confirm the important role of antioxidant defenses in the mechanisms of fish-resistance to heavy metal stress. This study highlights the significance and importance of using a set of integrated biomarker to assess the heavy metals toxicity in the T. niloticus fish in polluted areas.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | New Developments in Blue Biotechnology and Environmental Pollution Assessment |
| Publisher | Nova Science Publishers |
| Pages | 177-188 |
| Number of pages | 12 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781628081381 |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Alkaline phosphatase
- Antioxidant
- Biomarker
- Heavy metal
- Tilapia niloticus
- Transaminases
