Biomarkers of oxidative stress and antioxidant defences as indicators of different disinfectants exposure in the heart of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus MykissWalbaum)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the impacts of different disinfectants' treatment using in aquaculture on the oxidative stress biomarkers such as thiobarbituric acid reactive substrates (TBARS) and carbonyl derivatives of protein oxidative modification, as well as antioxidant defences [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity] and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) in the heart tissue of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). In the disinfectants exposure, fish were treated to chloramine-T (final concentration 10 g m−3), chloride dioxide (5 g m−3), formalin (200 mL m−3) and CIP disinfectant based on peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide (16 mL m−3) for 20 min and repeated three times every 3 days. Both chlorine dioxide and formalin treatment was indicated by a significant increase in the level of heart TBARS levels and carbonyl derivatives content and decreased SOD activity. Tissue oxidative stress biomarkers were unchanged upon chloramine-T or CIP disinfectant exposure. Increased oxidative stress could modify antioxidant defences, principally causing increased CAT activity in the heart tissue of formalin- or ClO2−-exposed fish. The correlation between oxidative stress biomarkers and GPx activity indicates that enzymes related to glutathione metabolism were responsible to formalin or ClO2−-induced oxidative stress. Hence, TBARS, carbonyl derivatives and antioxidant defences could be used as biomarkers in evaluating the toxicity of formalin and chlorine dioxide using as disinfectants to trout.