Preliminary study on the impact of preaziquantel on phormidium fragile

ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to evaluate the toxic effects of increasing concentrations of antischistosomal drug, Praziquantel on growth, pigmentation, enzyme activities, protein and nucleic acids contents of a common cyanobacterium, Phormidium fragile. The statistical analysis revealed that dry biomass yield, chlorophyll a and carotenoids decreased as the drug concentration in the test media increased. On the other hand, the different concentrations of the drug had a stimulatory effect on the protein accumulation as well as the activities of nitrate reductase, GOT, GPT and malate dehydrogenase. Small doses of the drug increased the accumulation of RNA, DNA, phycocyanin and allophycocyanin, while the higher doses suppressed their contents. Phycocyanin seemed to be hardly affected by the addition of the chiral drug