Toxic effect of some dangerous chemicals on superoxide dismutase enzymatic activity

Abstract

The research work presents the evaluation of superoxide dismutase enzymatic activity modifications as a result of toxic effect of dangerous chemicals. Superoxide dismutase is an efficient enzymatic antioxidant and plays an important role in the protection reaction of organism against negative effects of the free radicals. Therefore it is necessary to study this enzyme for determination of dangerous chemicals toxicity on it. For this study two pesticides were selected: atrasine and mevinphos, whose toxicity characteristics have been determined after performing ecotoxicological test to evaluate their risk on aquatic organisms (fsh of Cyprinus carpio species), sensitive to the toxic action of compounds taken in study. In order to obtain relevant results, an enzymatic kit for measure of superoxide dismutases (MnSOD and CuZnSOD) has been used. Measurements were performed from protein extracts obtained from intoxicated fsh organs. The biochemical method is a spectrometrical method and tetrazolium salt is used for superoxide radical detection, produced by xantinoxidase. The obtained results have led to the conclusion that dangerous chemicals taken in study determine catalytic activity modifications of superoxide dismutase toward blank. In addition, in case of mevinphos the enzyme may be completely inhibited, this being suffocated by the proper metabolites (H2O2 or *OH). These modifications of superoxide dismutase activity can lead to drastic consequences on aquatic organisms.