Synergistic effects of polychlorinated biphenyls and cadmium on oxidative stress, antioxidant enzymes and immunity in labeo rohita
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57038/usjas.v10i01.7807Keywords:
Cadmium; Polychlorinated Biphenyls; Rohu; Hepatic damage; ImmunityAbstract
Environmental pollutants, including cadmium (Cd) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), are widely distributed in the environment. These pollutants are highly toxic to living organisms and cause serious damage to both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The present study was designed to determine the effects of combined exposure to PCBs and Cd on the freshwater fish Labeo rohita. A total of 80 L. rohita were randomly divided into four groups (n = 20/group): control, PCB-treated (10 µg/L), Cd-treated (1 mg/L) and PCB + Cd co-treated (10 µg/L + 1 mg/L). The experiment was conducted for 21 days. The results revealed that exposure to PCBs and Cd alone caused significant damage in fish. However, greater damage was observed in the PCB + Cd co-treated group compared with the Cd-treated and PCB-treated groups. Co-administration of PCBs and Cd increased the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), while decreasing the activities of antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, Cd and PCB exposure disturbed the hematological parameters of L. rohita. Increased levels of hepatic enzymes, including AST, ALT and ALP, were also observed in the blood, indicating liver damage. In addition, Cd and PCB exposure reduced fish immunity by lowering lysozyme activity, phagocytic activity, IgM and ACP levels. The findings demonstrated that combined exposure to PCBs and Cd caused severe toxic effects in L. rohita, suggesting that these pollutants become more harmful to aquatic organisms, especially freshwater fish, when present together.
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