Effect of Bisphenol-A Exposure on Activity of Antioxidant Enzymes in Channa punctatus and Alleviation with Vitamin C

Abstract

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a high volume industrial chemical that is widely employed in themanufacture of polycarbonate plastics, epoxy resins, flame retardants and other industrialproducts. The release of BPA into the environment far exceeds its removal from the differentenvironmental matrices. Alarming levels of BPA have been reported in air, water, soil andbiological fluids like serum, urine and even amniotic fluid. As waterbodies serve as the ultimatesink for toxicants, the effect of BPA on aquatic fauna needs to be investigated. BPA and othersimilar xenobiotics are known to induce oxidative stress by disturbing the redox balance of thebody. In this study we looked into the activity of antioxidant enzymes of the liver in Channapunctatus following BPA exposure. As vitamins are also known to reduce oxidative stress, theeffect of co-exposure of vitamin C and BPA was also studied. We observed significant changesin the activity of antioxidant enzymes as a result of BPA exposure and alleviation of theseeffects due to vitamin C.