Potential of Antioxidant Enzymes as biochemical biomarkers for glyphosate-based herbicide in Oreochromis niloticus

Abstract

The current study examined the toxicity of Roundup, which is a herbicide containing glyphosate that is commonly used in agriculture, on Oreochromis niloticus, a type of freshwater fish. The researchers investigated the effectiveness of using antioxidant enzymes as biochemical biomarkers to assess the potentially toxic impact of Roundup on the fish. The sub-lethal concentration of Roundup in tilapia is 1.05 mg/l for 96 hours of exposure.  The fish were exposed to sub-lethal concentration (36.8 to 46.9 mg/L) of Roundup for a period of 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours, and their antioxidant enzyme activities were measured, respectively. According to the findings, Roundup exposure led to a noticeable rise in the levels of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and peroxidase activities in both the liver and gill tissues of the fish, which suggested the occurrence of oxidative stress. These changes in antioxidant enzyme activities were concentration-dependent, suggesting that Roundup exposure can induce oxidative damage in fish. The study concluded that  Roundup affects the enzymatic activity of both organs in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Catalase and peroxidase activities were generally inhibited, while superoxide dismutase activity was affected differently depending on the organ, concentration, and time of exposure.