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Abstract

Contamination of aquatic ecosystems with toxic metals such as Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ is a serious issue in the industrialized world, which can affect freshwater fish even at low concentrations. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ alone or in combination on the biochemical constituents of liver and muscle in Crucian carp using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR). Results from the spectral analysis revealed significant decline in protein and increase in lipids in the two tissues with marked effect caused by the combined exposure of Cd 2+ and Pb 2+ . In case of liver, alteration in the intensity and band area at amide I resulted in a differential response of structural protein for the exposed groups. Furthermore, a decrease in the α-helix and alterations in the nucleic acids content was also observed in both liver and muscle of the exposed fish. Moreover, biochemical alterations in the vital tissue of freshwater fish due to toxic contaminants can be used as a marker of environmental pollution with the help of FT-IR spectroscopy.