Abstract
The present study is endeavored to study the oxidative stress and antioxidant response as well as the ultrastructural change of both liver and muscle tissues of Siganus rivulatus collected from polluted region (El-Mex Bay) and control region (Marsa Matrouh) to identify the significance of biomarkers. The results revealed that, El-Mex Bay was polluted by different types of chemicals including hydrocarbons comparing with the reference area (Matrouh area). Where, the concentration range of total hydrocarbons in sediment samples collected from Matrouh coast was 409.24 - 521.26 ng/g, dry weight, where as this range in sediment samples collected from El-MexBay was 4159.77 - 4589.81 ng/g, dry weight. In this context, the induction of antioxidant systems in fish collected from polluted area in response to oxidative stress should be considered as a clear indication of the presence of pollution and environmental health degradation. Also, The increase in lipid peroxidation was a useful indicator of the pollution load in the present study. The results suggest that chemical pollution is capable of inducing morphological alteration in liver offish collected from polluted area. The present study indicated that ultra-structural changes serveas biomarker of stress in aquatic environment.
Highlights
The induction of antioxidant systems in fish collected from polluted area in response to oxidative stress should be considered as a clear indication of the presence of pollution and environmental health degradation
The morphological study showed that the weight and length range for Siganus rivulatus collected from each area were relatively similar, but the hepatosomatic index for siganus rivulatus collected from El-Mex Bay was 2 fold more than those collected from Matrouh coast (Figure 2)
The results of the chemical analysis revealed that the concentration range of total hydrocarbons in sediment samples collected from Matrouh coast was 409.24 - 521.26 ng/ g, dry weight, whereas the range in sediment samples collected from El-Mex Bay was 4159.77 - 4589.81 ng/g, dry weight revealing the presence of high concentrations of total hydrocarbons in El-Mex Bay compared to the reference area (Matrouh area)
Summary
Because environmental contaminants can have a broad spectrum of sub lethal effects on organisms, so bioindicators are useful tools for assessing the presence and levels of chemical pollution Such effects in organisms sensitive to contaminant exposures can be used as early warning signs for the degradation of the environment [19]. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a class of organic compounds consisting of two or more fused aromatic rings They are one of the major categories of pollutants entering the marine environment and accumulating in the sediments. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) can accumulate in the tissues of aquatic animals and as such tissue concentrations of chemical pollutants can be of public health concern to both animals and humans [20]-[27] They are formed by three main processes: diagenesis, petrogenesis, and pyrolysis [28]. Histopathological biomarkers have been proven to be useful indicators of toxicity in fish organs [32]
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