Oxidative Stress and Associated Neurotoxicological Impact in Cirrhinus reba from the River Mahananda, Malda: An Ecotoxicological Assessment

The water quality of the River Mahananda has continuously deteriorated due to increased exposure of untreated wastewater from the urban areas, increasing the concentration of anthropogenic toxicants in aquatic environments that might enhance the cellular oxidative stress-induced physiological imbalance on the aquatic biota. In the present study, we have assessed the water quality of the River Mahananda and evaluated its detrimental effects on the oxidative stress parameters and neurotoxic biomarker of Cirrhinus reba. The principal component analysis revealed a significant impact of zinc, copper, fluoride, and ammonia on the pollution status of the River Mahananda. A significant decrease in the activity of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione reductase was observed in the liver, while significantly increased (p<0.001) concentrations of TBARS in the liver, kidney, brain, and gill of C. reba were found at the polluted sites. An organ-specific significant decrease (p<0.001) in the acetylcholinesterase activity was noted in the brain tissue of C. reba at the polluted sites (S2<S3<S4) compared to the control. The result of our study indicates the noxious impact of anthropogenic pollutants on the physiological metabolisms of Cirrhinus reba, an alternative model for ecotoxicological study.