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Effects of Water-Borne Copper on Digestive and Metabolic Enzymes of the Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential utility of enzyme parameters as indicators of water-borne copper (Cu2+) contamination in the giant freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Activities of the digestive enzymes of tryptase, pepsin, cellulase, amylase, and metabolic enzymes of alkaline phosphatase (AKP), acid phosphatase (ACP), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) were measured in the hepatopancreas of M. rosenbergii after 7 days of exposure to copper (Cu2+) concentrations ranging from 0.01 mg/L to 0.5 mg/L. A significant inhibition on the digestive enzymes by Cu2+ was observed, being relevant to the elevated Cu2+ concentration. The maximum inhibition rate was recorded in amylase among all the digestive enzymes. As regards the metabolic enzymes, although the activity of SOD had an increase in final copper treatment groups when comparing to the controls, those of ACP and AKP significantly decreased in accordance with increase in Cu2+ concentrations. In addition, though there was a significantly decreased GST activity in group treated with 0.01 mg/L Cu2+; the activity could increase gradually in the prawns when exposed to higher Cu2+ concentrations. The responses of the metabolic and digestive enzymes in the hepatopancreas of M. rosenbergii were sensitive to water-borne copper contamination; furthermore, amylase, and GST seem to be most suitable biomarkers of environmental Cu2+ stress in M. rosenbergii.

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Acknowledgments

This work was support by the Ministry of Personnel (Scientific Research Foundation of for Returned Overseas Chinese Scholars, 2004, Project No. 2-105053), the Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences for Chief Scientists (Project No. 1-105011), and Science & Technology Department of Shanghai (Project No. 04DZ19301 and 06DZ12302).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Life Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, People’s Republic of China

    Na Li & Yunlong Zhao

  2. Key Laboratory of Ecological Environment and Resources of Inland Fisheries, Freshwater Fisheries Research Center, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Wuxi, 214081, People’s Republic of China

    Jian Yang

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  1. Na Li
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  2. Yunlong Zhao
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Correspondence to Jian Yang.

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Li, N., Zhao, Y. & Yang, J. Effects of Water-Borne Copper on Digestive and Metabolic Enzymes of the Giant Freshwater Prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii . Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 55, 86–93 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-007-9099-9

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