Study on the Effects of Exposure of Sub Lethal Dose of Cadmium and Zinc on the Enzymatic Activity in the Tissues of Green Mussel-Perna viridis (L.) from Ratnagiri Coast, Maharashtra

Abstract

This research paper reports on the effects of exposure of green mussel to sub lethal concentrations of cadmium and zinc on GOT, GPT, ACP and ALP activities in the tissues of mantle, gill, hepatopancreas, adductor muscle, siphon, foot and gonad of Perna viridis. Exposure of sub lethal concentration of cadmium for 15 days resulted in the increase of GOT activity in all the tissues and was found to be the maximum in mantle and gonad but declined in hepatopancreas, siphon and foot. 30 days exposure of cadmium caused over all increase in GOT activity but the maximum was found to be in gonad although hepatopancreas and mantle showed higher levels of this activity. The GOT activity increased in all the tissues except in adductor muscle and the maximum in hepatopancreas and gonad as a result of exposure to lower concentration of zinc. Higher concentration of zinc for 30 days resulted in the increase in the activity in all the tissues but being higher in hepatopancreas, gill and gonad. GPT activity due to exposure to lower concentration of cadmium declined in mantle, adductor muscle, siphon, gill and gonad but it showed gentle rise in case of hepatopancreas and foot after 30 days of exposure. The exposure of lower concentration of zinc caused decline in GPT activity in mantle, adductor muscle, siphon, foot and gonad while in gill it increased. The ACP activity increased in all the tissues except in adductor and gonad during 15 days exposure to cadmium while exposure to zinc brought about elevation in all the tissues except gill. The exposure for 30 days resulted in decline in ACP activity in hepatopancreas, mantle and foot. 15 days exposure to cadmium enhanced the ALP activity in all the tissues but not in foot where as 30 days exposure resulted in decline in ALP activity in mantle, gill and adductor muscle. Exposure of zinc caused gradual increase in ALP activity in all the tissues studied. Thus, there is a possibility that Perna viridis can act as an indicator of pollutant contamination due to cadmium and zinc.