Effets of the herbicide gallant and mercury on liver function of Tilapia zilli

ABSTRACT

Herbicides are highly toxic for both human and animal health. The increased application of herbicides in agriculture during the last decades has resulted in the contamination of both soil and water. Also do heavy metals, which represent one of the most important group of pollutants produced as a result of many industrial activities which can find their way easily to the normal aquatic environments, disturbing and damaging the existing organisms. Fishes of the species Tilapia zillii were exposed to sublethal concentration of herbicide Gallant [haloxyfop-ethopxy ethanol ester] [3 mg/L], mercury as mercuric chloride [6 mg/L] and a combined dose of herbicide [1.5 mg/L] and mercury [3 mg/L] for 96 hrs., in aquaria under controlled laboratory conditions. A comparative physiological study was carried out to test the toxicological effects of these pollutants on glutamic pyruvic transaminase [GPT], glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [GOT] activities and hepatosomatic index of liver. A progressive decrease in enzyme activity as well as total protein content of liver were observed, while hepatosomatic index showed a slight insignificant increase