Assessing the Effects of Amoxicillin on Antioxidant Enzyme Activities, Lipid Peroxidation and Protein Carbonyl Content in the Clam Ruditapes philippinarum and the Mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

In this study, we evaluated the capability of amoxicillin (AMX)-one of the most widely used antibiotics worldwide-to induce oxidative stress in both gills and digestive gland from two bivalve species, the clam Ruditapes philippinarum and the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities, as well as the lipid peroxidation levels (LPO) and protein carbonyl content (PCC), were measured in bivalves exposed to 100, 200 and 400 µg AMX/L for 1, 3 and 7 days. The results obtained demonstrated that AMX affected slightly biomarker responses of molluscs.

Does the antibiotic amoxicillin affect haemocyte parameters in non-target aquatic invertebrates? The clam Ruditapes philippinarum and the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis as model organisms.

Amoxicillin (AMX) is one of the most widely used antibiotics worldwide, and its levels in aquatic ecosystems are expected to be detectable. At present, information concerning the toxic effects of AMX on non-target aquatic organisms, such as bivalves, is scarce. Consequently, in this study, we investigated for the first time the effects of AMX on the haemocyte parameters of two bivalve species, the clam Ruditapes philippinarum and the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, which share the same habitat in the Lagoon of Venice, in order to compare the relative sensitivity of the two species. The bivalves were exposed to 100, 200 and 400 µg AMX/L for 1, 3 and 7 days, and the effects on the total haemocyte count (THC), the diameter and volume of the haemocytes, haemocyte proliferation, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in cell-free haemolymph, the haemolymph pH, and the formation of micronuclei were evaluated. The actual concentrations of AMX in the seawater samples from the experimental tanks were also measured. Overall, the obtained results demonstrated that AMX affected slightly the haemocyte parameters of bivalves. In addition, no clear differences in terms of sensitivity to AMX exposure were recorded between the two bivalve species.