Effects of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc on biomarker responses in post larval stages of penaeus mondon

In the present investigation, cadmium, copper, lead and zinc induced biochemical changes were studied in post larval stages of Penaeus monodon under long term chronic test (30 days). The total protein content, level of lipid peroxidation, reduced glutathione and the activity of catalase, glutathione S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase in the tissues of Penaeus monodon decreased with the increase in concentrations of heavy metal concentrations used in the long term chronic test for 30 days. Enzymatic antioxidants have great potential to indicate the toxic effects of heavy metals because they can generate free radicals inducing lipid peroxidation of cell membranes which was observed in the present study. The metal-mediated production of ROS is detoxified by a set of antioxidant enzymes, which are of great diagnostic value for environmental pollution indices and have proved the ability of being a biomarker in the present study with Penaeus monodon.