Comparison of oxidative stress biomarkers in Oreochromis mossambicus in minimally and highly disturbed aquatic environments in the Matabeleland region, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Owing to their ability to provide a functional measure of organismal response to chemical stressors, oxidative biomarkers are useful in ecotoxicological studies to assess disturbance in aquatic environments. This study assessed the use of oxidative stress biomarkers in Oreochromis mossambicus (Peters, 1852) (Perciformes: Cichlidae) to distinguish between minimally and highly disturbed aquatic environments. A water quality index (WQI) and overall index of pollution (OIP) were used to characterize the target sites, namely the Mananda Dam (control, reference site) and Lower Mguza Dam (disturbed site). Forty male O. mossambicus samples were collected from each dam between April and August 2013. Values for the WQI and OIP indices were significantly higher for the Lower Mguza Dam than for the Mananda Dam (p < 0.05). Oxidative stress biomarker evaluation results showed that the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) as well as the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the liver of O. mossambicus were significantly higher in fish collected from Lower Mguza Dam than those collected from Mananda Dam (p < 0.05). The activities of DT-diaphorase (DTD) and catalase (CAT) were significantly inhibited in fish from the Lower Mguza Dam, when compared to those collected from the Mananda Dam (p < 0.05). From these findings, it is evident that oxidative stress biomarkers, such as antioxidant enzyme activity and MDA accumulation, can be used to differentiate minimally and highly disturbed aquatic environments.