In vitro Assessment of Antioxidant Enzymes in Oreochromis niloticus Induced with Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonates

Background and Objective: Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonates is one of the most overused surfactants and one of the most challenging emerging poisons that wastewater treatment plants and other users constantly release into the environment. This study evaluated the toxicity of Linear Alkyl Benzene Sulfonates (LABS) in post-juveniles of Nile tilapia, a common wetland fish. Materials and Methods: The fish were self-bred in a serene atmosphere and were induced with low doses of LABS for thirty days after which changes in clinical indices were evaluated in the major tissues in the fish. The glutathione S-transferase (GST), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), globulin and albumin. GST and SOD activities in the red blood corpuscles were assessed at 7-day intervals, CAT was accessed in the liver, kidney and gills on days 2nd and 30th. Similarly, the globulin and albumin in the sera were measured on days 2nd and 30th. The enzyme activities were evaluated with standardized methods. Results: A duration and concentration-dependent rise of GST activity was seen in the erythrocytes of the circhlid induced with different toxicant concentrations. The SOD activity did not markedly differ between treatments (p>0.05) and they were indistinguishable from the reference treatment. The activity of catalase was in the order of, liver>gills>kidney and when compared with the untreated fish, the enzyme activities in the organs were significantly (p<0.05) higher. Compared to the control, albumin and globulin were suppressed over time and at different doses, although the decrease was significant (p<0.05) in all treatments except 0.20 mg L‾1 of LABS treatment. Conclusion: The present investigation has attempted to provide a framework for the implication of one of the frequently readily available surfactants in coastal counties, observations that call for the precautionary use of detergents in this region.