Assessing the Effects of Oil Pollution of the Persian Gulf on Activities of 3 Different Enzymatic Biomarkers in Gill of Mudskipper Periophthalmus waltoni (Bushehr Coastal Area)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 MSc., Department of Fishery, University of Tehran, Karaj. Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Fisheries, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj. Iran

3 Professor, Department of Toxicology & Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, and Pharmaceutical Sciences research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Considerable amounts of different pollutants, especially crude oils, are present in the Persian Gulf and its northern region, so biomonitoring the effect of these pollutants on its biota is necessary. Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD), gluthathione S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activity were measured from biochemical level in the gills of mudskipper Periophthalmus waltoni collected from Soltani Inlet, Shif Island and Ameri Port from Bushehr coastal area (with high, medium and low amounts of pollution) in April and May 2011, using spectrophoto/ fluorometric assay. Selected biomarkers induced significantly (P<0.05) in Soltani Inlet’s samples. This first biological effect assessment reveals that mudskipper P. waltoni is a potentially suitable target species to be used as a bioindicator in such ecosystems and this study provides further support for the use of biomarkers in assessing the health of coastal areas.

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