International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies 2018; 6(2): 346-352 E-ISSN: 2347-5129 P-ISSN: 2394-0506 (ICV-Poland) Impact Value: 5.62 Assessment of coastal pollution in Abu-Qir bay by (GIF) Impact Factor: 0.549 IJFAS 2018; 6(2): 346-352 determination of minerals and antioxidant enzymes in © 2018 IJFAS www.fisheriesjournal.com different tissues for Mullus barbatus Received: 05-01-2018 Accepted: 08-02-2018 Marwa M Mazrouh Marwa M Mazrouh Department of Fisheries, Fish Physiology laboratory, National Abstract Institute of Oceanography and This study was aimed to determine the levels of minerals and antioxidant enzymes in the muscles, liver Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt and gills of Mullus barbatus collected from Abu-Qir Bay during December (2015). These minerals were chosen because at higher concentrations there might be toxic to the fish. The mean contents of minerals were carried out using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer) 2280 and expressed in mg/100gdry weight. Results showed that the highest concentrations were in liver and gills while the lowest concentrations were in muscles. The mean concentrations of Zn varied from (2.15 to 3.71),Cu (2.48 to 4.76), Cd (1.34 to 2.96), Na (119.16 to 148.12), K (182.64 to 205.96), P (2.35 to 4.09), Ca (2.09 to 5.52) and Mg (2.42 to 3.43).The concentrations of minerals were identified to have the following decreasing sequence: K > Na > Ca > Cu > Zn > Mg >P>Cd. Significant differences are observed in the activity of oxidative stress at investigated organs. There is an increased in GSH content and CAT activity in liver and gills than in muscles. Mineral concentrations differences among the investigated organs were statistically significant (p<0.05) and various degrees of correlations coefficient. It can be concluded that it is necessary to make a regular analysis to observe and assess the high levels of minerals and the possible effects on the ecosystem in the Abu-Qir Bay, and using the antioxidant enzymes as environmental monitoring. Keywords: Minerals, glutathione, catalase, Mullus barbatus 1. Introduction Monitoring of the environmental quality is a great importance to determine if more steps are required to improve the quality of the environment. Due to their toxicity and accumulation in biota, the level determinations of heavy metals in commercial fish species have received considerable attention in different countries [1]. There has been an increasing interest in the utilization of fishes as bio-indicators of the integrity of aquatic environmental systems in [2] recent years . Marine coastal areas are extremely impacted by human activities. The industrial and agricultural activities which are performed by human beings from past to present had caused to increase the metal contamination levels in marine ecosystems. The contamination of water by metal compounds is a worldwide environmental problem. The negative effects of heavy metal accumulations on ecosystems are increasing day by day, these effects compared with other contaminants cannot be observed in a short period, but it will be [3] observed more in a long period . The metals must be taken from water, food, or sediment for the normal metabolism of fish. However, similar to the route of essential metals, nonessential ones are also taken by fish and accumulate in their tissues [4]. Knowledge of mineral levels of muscle is important for human health, so muscle tissues of marine species are consumed more by humans compared to other parts. Levels of minerals in muscle tissues of marine species [5-9] have been determined by many researchers . Minerals discharged into the aquatic environment can damage both of aquatic organisms and species diversity, due to their easy uptake into the food chain, toxicity and accumulative behavior and bio-magnification in the food chain [10-12]. Minerals have an important role in human metabolism. Although these metals Correspondence Marwa M Mazrouh are necessary in normal concentrations, they may show toxic effects in higher concentrations [13] Department of Fisheries, Fish . Lack of essential minerals (e.g., Na, Mg, Cl, P, S, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se) leads to Physiology laboratory, National improve enzyme-mediated metabolic functions and results in organ malfunctions, chronic Institute of Oceanography and diseases, and ultimately death. Fisheries, Alexandria, Egypt ~ 346 ~ International Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Studies Trace minerals are a threat to public health, even at low One gram of each dry investigated tissue was weighed, concentrations, since long-term chronic exposure may result transferred into polyethylene bottle and 10 ml of concentrated in the accumulation of toxic levels [14]. nitric acid was added to the sample and digested with boiling The Eastern Harbor, Western Harbor, El-Mex, El-Dekhila and until all the contents dissolved. After cooling, the solution Abu-Qir, which are located along the coast of the Alexandria was filtered and diluted the sample with deionized water. The city, are vital for fisheries and marine activities. However, concentrations of minerals (Zn, Cu, Cd, Na, K, P, Ca, and these coasts are under constant threats of petroleum pollution Mg) were determined by using Atomic Absorption in the form of heavy tar loads. This may result from untreated Spectrophotometer (Perkin Elmer) 2280. Minerals domestic sewage, oil transportation, oil spillage and ballast concentrations were expressed in terms of mg/100g dry water from tankers, as well as industrial waste waters [15, 16]. weight. Abu-Qir Bay is a shallow semi-circular basin lying35 Km east of Alexandria City. The bay is considered as a fertile marine 2.2 Biochemical Analysis habitat when compared with the other Egyptian 2.2.1 Protein and lipid determination Mediterranean coastal waters. The bay is used for commercial Total protein concentration in the supernatant was determined fishing, shipping, recreational boating, swimming and as a according to the method of [28] and total lipid concentration repository for sewage effluents. It is exposed to industrial and was determined according to the method of [29] and expressed agricultural waste, discharged through El-Tabia outfall, in mg/g. Maadiya outlet and the Rosetta branch of the Nile River. The importance of Abu-Qir site and its suffering from different 2.2.2 Antioxidants biomarkers sources of pollution has made many researchers study the area Samples from each organ were homogenized in Tris-buffer in biological, ecological [17, 18]. The estimated amount of 0.1M, pH 7.5, therefore; centrifugation was carried out at untreated sewage and industrial wastes from 22 different 3000xg for 20 min. The supernatant was collected and stored factories pumped to Abu-Qir Bay through TPS is of about 2 at -20oc for enzymatic determination. millions m3/day [19]. The main enzymes that reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxify in all organisms are functionally 2.2.3 Determination of Reduced glutathione (GSH) divided into antioxidant defense enzyme activities (catalase- content CAT, reduced glutathione-GSH and biotransformation phase GSH content was determined by using the method described II components for instance, glutathione-S-transferase-GST) by (Beutler et al., 1963) [30]. The method based on the [20]. Catalase is an enzyme belonging to the cellular reduction of 5, 5` dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) antioxidant system that counteracts the toxicity of reactive with glutathione (GSH) to produce a yellow compound. The oxygen species. Several classes of pollutants, including trace reduced chromogen directly proportional to GSH metals or organic compounds, are known to enhance the concentration. The intensity of the color was measured at 412 formation of reactive oxygen species. Variations in the nm. Glutathione content was expressed as mg/g tissue wet activities of antioxidant enzymes have been demonstrated in weight. several studies and proposed as biomarkers of pollutant mediated oxidative stress [21-23]. Red mullet are among the 2.2.4 Determination of Catalase Activity (CAT) most valuable and highly priced fish species in Egypt, though The activity of CAT was measured according to the method widely distributed along the entire coast of Mediterranean, described by Aebi (1984) [31]. 0.2 gm of fresh tissue was their major fisheries are located in the area from Alexandria to homogenized in 2 ml of extraction buffer under cold Port Said [24]. In this study, the benthic fish red mullet (Mullus conditions. The homogenate was centrifuged at 10,000xg for barbatus L.) was chosen as the bioindicator species because it 20 min at 4ºc. The CAT reacts with a known quantity of is a territorial fish of commercial interest that has been used in H2O2, and the reaction is stopped after 1 min with a CAT [25] several studies of coastal pollution monitoring . The red inhibitor. In the presence of peroxidase, the remaining H2O2 mullet can be considered a key indicator species for the reacts with 3, 5-dichloro-2-hydroxybenzene sulfuric acid and Adriatic Sea [26, 27]. 4-aminophenazone to form a chromophore, with a color The aim of the present study was to determine the levels of intensity inversely proportional to the amount of CAT in the minerals in the muscles, liver, and gills of M.barbatus and sample. The supernatant was used for quick assay was assess the use of antioxidant enzymes for monitoring the determined by observing the disappearance of H2O2 by marine environment at Abu-Qir bay particularly exposed to measuring the spectrophotometer at 510 nm absorbance. different pollutants. 2.3 Statistical analyses 2. Materials and Methods Statistical analysis of data was carried out using SPSS in 2.1 Sample collection and preparation for Mineral version (16) statistical package program. One-way analysis of determination variance (ANOVA) was used to assess whether metal Twenty five samples of Mullus barbatus were collected concentrations varied as significantly among tissues. The directly from local fishermen from Abu-Qir bay during correlation between the element pairs in tissues was December (2015).