ABSTRACT
The disruption of acetylcholinesterase activity (AChE) in the freshwater fish, Labeo rohita is demonstrated in the present study using acetylthiocholine iodide as substrate. L. rohita on exposure to lethal (6 microg/L) and sub-lethal (0.75 microg/L) concentrations of fenvalerate showed time- and dose-dependent inhibition in the activity of AChE, suggesting a decrease in the cholinergic transmission and consequent accumulation of acetylcholine (ACh) in the tissues (brain, gill, liver, and muscle) leading to continuous nerve impulses, causing prolonged muscle contraction which, as a consequence, causes paralysis and results in death. These also have lead to behavioral changes and create widespread disturbance in the normal neural physiology of the fish. Residue analysis using a gas-liquid chromatography technique (GLC) revealed that highest quantity of fenvalerate accumulated in gill followed by liver and muscle under lethal concentrations, whereas in sub-lethal concentrations muscle accumulated the highest concentration followed by gill and liver. The results suggest that in a biomonitoring program AChE activity can be a good diagnostic tool for assessing fenvalerate toxicity. The lipophilic nature of fenvalerate is of concern, since L. rohita is an important staple fish species, which may lead to the phenomenon of biomagnification.
