Acesulfame potassium: Its ecotoxicity measured through oxidative stress biomarkers in common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Abstract

Acesulfame potassium (ACS) is a widely-used sweetener worldwide. Its presence has been demonstrated in diverse bodies of water. However, the deleterious effects this causes in aquatic organisms has not yet been identified, which generates controversy concerning the risks that ACS represents after its disposal into the bodies of water. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate if the exposure of ACS in environmentally-relevant concentrations was capable of producing oxidative stress in blood, liver, gill, brain and muscle of common carp (Cyprinus carpio). With this finality, the carp were exposed to two environmentally-relevant concentrations (0.05 and 149 μg L−1) at different exposure times (12, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h), having controls in the same conditions for each exposure time. Posteriorly, the following biomarkers of damage were evaluated: hydroperoxide content (HPC), level of lipoperoxidation (LPX) and protein carbonyl content (PCC), as well as the activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). The results showed that ACS produces significant increase in damage biomarkers evaluated in all organs, mainly in gill, brain and muscle, as well as significant changes in the activity of antioxidant enzymes in the same organs. Thus, it is concluded that ACS is capable of producing oxidative stress in common carp (Cyprinus carpio).